“Turn left at the blue container, look for the mango tree, and stop before the brick fence.”
For generations, finding a home in Nigeria meant understanding street codenames and landmarks. Now, the government is replacing that with a digital postcode system that promises building-level precision.
On October 1, Nigeria launched the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System (NDAPS), assigning unique 11-character codes to “addressable buildings” across the country. The system is designed to pinpoint buildings, making it easier to locate deliveries, emergency response, financial services, and government programmes.
But the more accurately the system locates buildings, the more valuable its data becomes—and the more it matters who can access and control it.
Originally published by TechCabal.