Nigerians can now look up their residential addresses and obtain digital postcodes through the Federal Government’s National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, implemented by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).
Launched nationwide on October 1, 2026, the system assigns an 11-character alphanumeric code to every addressable building, making it easier for people to identify, locate and share precise addresses.
The platform enables users to search for locations using street addresses, place names, postcodes and aliases. In some cases, address records also include property owners’ names, particularly where residents commonly use those names to identify buildings.
Below is a step-by-step guide to finding your digital postcode and checking the address details associated with your building.
1. Visit the official NIPOST website
Go to postcode.gov.ng and select the “Find my postcode” option to access the search platform.
Users can also download the NIPOST Postcode application through the official website. The Android version is available on Google Play, while the website indicates that the iOS version is coming soon.
2. Search for your home address
Enter your house number, street name, neighbourhood or another relevant location detail in the search box.
Alternatively, you can search using a place name, postcode or alias, where available. From the results, select the address that corresponds to your property and check its position on the map.
Before confirming the result, compare the location with nearby roads, neighbouring buildings and familiar landmarks to ensure the map points to the correct property.
3. Check whether your name appears in the address records
Some properties are listed with their owners’ names because these were included in the informal descriptions collected during the system’s data-gathering exercise.
According to a report by TheCable, NIPOST Postmaster-General Tola Odeyemi explained that officials collected both formal and informal building addresses during fieldwork.
“During ground data collection, we collected standard or informal addresses of buildings,” she said.
In areas where streets are not clearly named or houses lack formal numbering, residents often identify properties by the names of their owners.
To check whether your name appears, review the address description associated with your building. You may also search for your name if it is commonly used to identify the property.
However, if your name does not appear in the search results, it does not automatically mean your building is absent from the database. The digital postcode is assigned to the building or addressable location, rather than to its owner or occupants.
4. Use your phone’s location to find your building
If you are at home or nearby, your phone’s location feature can help you identify your building on the map.
First, enable your device’s location services and grant the application permission to access your location when prompted. Then select “Find My Postcode” to display your position and nearby mapped properties.
Locate your building on the map and select it to retrieve its corresponding digital postcode.
Take care to select the correct property, as neighbouring buildings may each have a different postcode.
5. Report errors or request a missing postcode
If the address information displayed for your building is inaccurate, use the platform’s available correction feature to submit the necessary changes.
If your property does not have a postcode, you can request one through the website or application by providing relevant address details and location information. Sharing a Google Maps link can also help NIPOST identify the building.
The postal service reviews requests for missing postcodes and proposed corrections before making changes to its records.
6. Understand what your digital postcode identifies
A digital postcode identifies a building or addressable location, not an individual resident.
This means people living in the same building can use the same postcode alongside their regular written address. If someone moves to another building, they will need to use the postcode assigned to the new location.
The system is intended to improve address identification and support services such as parcel deliveries, logistics, emergency response and public service delivery.
According to information on the official platform, finding, saving and sharing a digital postcode is free.
Residents are encouraged to verify that the building shown on the map matches their intended address before using or sharing its postcode. This helps reduce errors in deliveries, navigation and other location-based services.
