In a quiet street in Ikeja, Mr. Adewale folded a letter from his son abroad. The message was simple, but it echoed a challenge many Lagosians know too well:
“Dad, I couldn’t send the parcel. Your address doesn’t show on the map.”
It’s a story repeated across Lagos—from Lekki to Mushin. Poor addressing doesn’t just delay deliveries—it stalls business, hinders emergency services, and frustrates millions. But that story is about to change.
From July 1, 2025, Lagos is launching a bold new chapter: digital house numbering, a move set to transform how residents interact with their city.
Dr Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on e-GIS and Urban Development, said the digital addressing system, also known as the Lagos identifier programme, would help in different sectors, including housing, transportation, e-cab hailing service, security, emergency response, taxation and planning.
He said the technology had not only made Lagos a smart state, but it would have real-life impact on the people and the government’s ability to respond to residents’ needs.
Olajide, who stated that the system would begin in Ikeja Local Council which has 23,000 property, said that the production of the digital house number and the installation would be carried out by agencies of the state in conjunction with the technical partner.
He said that the project could not come at a better time than this, noting that if the Lagos State government gets it right, other states will use it as a case study to adopt.
Olajide further said that with Ikeja Council as the kick-off point of the project, the state government would move into other councils within the state gradually after completing the project in Ikeja.
“We are advising all property owners that have been subdivided to come forward for reidentification,” he said. A technical partner, Yinka Adesiyan, explained that every street and house would have their name and number embedded in bar codes, with various information accessible to residents by scanning the codes.
Why It Matters: The Power of a Digital Address
Imagine if every house in Lagos—whether a high-rise in Ikoyi or a bungalow in Alimosho—had a unique, traceable digital ID. That’s the goal. With this system, each property will receive a QR-code-enabled house number, stored in a digital database and visible both online and physically.
The benefits ripple across every layer of urban life:
- Emergency response teams can locate incidents faster
- Businesses can deliver goods more efficiently
- Government can collect taxes more accurately
- Citizens can register addresses without ambiguity
A City That Speaks One Digital Language
For decades, Lagos has grappled with duplicate house numbers, unregistered buildings, and missing signage. These aren’t just bureaucratic gaps—they’re barriers to growth. With over 20 million residents, a city of Lagos’s scale needs more than hand-painted house numbers and guesswork.
“A functional addressing system is the bedrock of smart city development,” say urban planners. “It’s like giving every building its own fingerprint.”
Through digital numbering, property data becomes searchable, verified, and tied to GPS coordinates. It’s a leap toward smart governance—making the city more livable, traceable, and transparent.
How it Works: From Wall to Web
The project, led by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, will involve:
- Field teams visiting homes to tag buildings with QR-enabled address plates
- Capturing key data—location, building type, purpose, ownership
- Integrating the information into a state-wide Geographic Information System (GIS)
- Allowing public access to address information for verification and service delivery
The beauty? This is not just for elite neighbourhoods. Every home counts.
What Residents Should Do
Starting July, Lagosians should:
- Cooperate with enumerators and urban data officers
- Ensure access to their buildings for tagging
- Update personal documents with the new digital addresses once issued
- Use the digital address when transacting—whether opening a bank account or receiving deliveries
Nigeria’s Model Smart City?
Digital house numbering may sound like a small change, but it’s a giant leap for Lagos. If successful, it could become a blueprint for other Nigerian states, showing how cities can bridge digital gaps and unlock data-driven development.
And maybe—just maybe—Adewale’s next letter from abroad won’t come with confusion, but with confidence:
“Dad, your package is on the way. Got your address scanned perfectly.”
This is more than a project—it’s a promise. A promise that in the city of Lagos, every home will finally be seen, counted, and connected.
