The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, HCSF, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has described the Proof of Address, PoA, initiative as a strategic reform designed to strengthen governance, enhance security, and improve administrative efficiency nationwide.
The PoA is a Federal Government initiative aimed at introducing a data-driven identification system for proper documentation of residents and businesses.
According to the Federal Government, the PoA will replace Nigeria’s longstanding reliance on informal and non-standard address descriptions and tools, such as utility bills, with a credible, standardised system that can be uniformly verified across the country.
A statement signed by Eno Olotu, Director of Press and Public Relations, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, said Walson-Jack spoke during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, led by Sam Akala to her office. ALGON is facilitating the implementation of the PoA across all 774 local government areas in the country.
Walson-Jack noted that the PoA is in line with the reform agenda of the Federal Civil Service, pointing out that its emphasis on digitalisation, data integrity, and institutional coordination directly supports ongoing transformation efforts across ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, of the Federal Government.
She further stressed that a verifiable address system is fundamental to ensuring accurate data management and seamless public service delivery.
According to her, the initiative aligns with the broader vision of building a digitally empowered civil service.
The HCSF assured the ALGON delegation of the support of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, OHCSF, in driving sensitisation and encouraging nationwide adoption.
Providing an overview of the project, Akala explained that the Proof of Address initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, and key partner agencies, including the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, and the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA.
Akala further explained that the initiative seeks to establish a unified, credible, and verifiable national address system that will serve as a foundational tool for governance and commerce.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State government has commenced full implementation of the PoA initiative, launching a statewide sensitisation campaign for MDAs and other stakeholders.
The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Owan Enoh, represented by Rev. Victor Usibe, Director of Administration in the Office of the SSG, while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Calabar, said the initiative would bolster intelligence gathering, crime detection, and emergency response, while also improving planning, service delivery, and access to government interventions.
Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Commission, Mrs Odu Oji, assured stakeholders of the readiness of local government councils to ensure seamless implementation, noting that councils would collaborate closely with relevant agencies to enhance security coverage and guarantee that residents benefit from government programmes.
The State Proof of Address Coordinator, Ufere Adat Sunday, said the sensitisation exercise is aimed at aligning MDAs under a unified implementation framework. He added that the initiative would improve data integrity, optimise revenue generation, and strengthen policy execution at both state and local government levels.
