The federal government has initiated a new local government proof of address programme, aimed at enhancing national security, improving citizen identification, and strengthening public service delivery throughout Nigeria.
This initiative, introduced by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), was approved via a circular from the office of the secretary to the government of the rederation and officially commenced on October 1, 2025.
According to the new policy, all federal and state ministries, departments, agencies, government-owned companies, and public institutions are required to discontinue the use of utility bills as proof of residence.
Instead, they will adopt the standardized proof of address issued by local governments.
The government noted that the prolonged reliance on utility bills has caused issues, as many Nigerians do not have bills in their names, while others may possess shared or outdated documents.
Additionally, the increase in prepaid and digital utility services has diminished the effectiveness of utility bills for accurate address verification.
This proof of address initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly in areas of governance reform, security enhancement, and institutional efficiency.
The project is managed by the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service serving as the coordinating federal agency.
Officials also pointed out that while the National Identification Number (NIN) is significant, many NIN records do not accurately reflect current residential addresses, which limits their effectiveness for security planning and service delivery.
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The new proof of address system aims to address this issue by providing verified and current address information directly linked to local governments.
Since local authorities have a better understanding of their communities, the scheme is expected to enhance community intelligence, crime prevention, emergency response, and the accuracy of population data.
In addition to security improvements, the initiative is anticipated to facilitate better public services, equitable resource distribution, disaster preparedness, urban development, social programs, financial inclusion, electoral planning, and national statistics.
Implementation is already underway at various stages across federal and state institutions.
