PoA Goes Live In Oyo March 1 As EFCC Promises Full Cooperation

The Proof of Address (PoA) system will officially go live in Oyo State on Sunday, March 1, 2026, following a government directive mandating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to commence full implementation of the address verification framework.

The activation, conveyed in Circular with Reference No. AD/36/VOL.IV/72, dated February 18, 2026, signalled the state’s formal entry into what authorities described as a nationwide effort to build a credible and standardised residential address database.

Signed by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Musibau Adetunji Babatunde, the circular directed that all official transactions requiring address verification must henceforth comply with the approved PoA framework. It further mandated each MDA to appoint a desk officer, not below Grade Level 09 or 10, to serve as PoA focal person and coordinate reporting within the state’s central implementation structure.

State officials said the rollout represented a major step in Oyo State’s public service reform and digital governance agenda.

Speaking at an earlier sensitisation programme held at the Western Hall of the State Secretariat in Ibadan, government representatives stressed that the initiative would strengthen planning, improve service delivery and enhance internal security. “A reliable address system is foundational to governance. It supports taxation, emergency response, infrastructure planning and accountability,” a senior official at the session said.

At the national level, the PoA initiative has gained momentum with the formal adoption and backing of the initiative by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has pledged full cooperation in its implementation. The anti-graft agency was working in partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to drive grassroots deployment of the system across all 774 local government areas of the country.

The partnership was formalised during a courtesy visit by an ALGON delegation to the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. The delegation was led by Prince Segun Obayendo, Lead Technical Partner for the initiative, alongside Abdulmajeed Abubakar, Deputy Director (Political) at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which is coordinating the project at the federal level.

Speaking during the meeting, EFCC Secretary, Muhammed Hammajoda, who represented the Chairman of the Commission, described the PoA system as critical to strengthening investigations and asset tracing. “Proof of address is essential in establishing ownership. When matters get to court, verifiable address data helps eliminate disputes over property ownership, whether involving tenants, landlords or third parties,” he said. He added that the Commission would give its full institutional support to ensure the integrity and reliability of the database.

Federal officials explained that enrolment into the PoA system requires residents to link their address information with their National Identification Number (NIN), thereby integrating the database with existing identity management infrastructure. According to them, this linkage will enhance traceability, reduce identity-related fraud and improve coordination among security and regulatory agencies.

Beyond law enforcement, the initiative is also attracting institutional backing from the education sector. The National Commission for Colleges of Education has adopted the PoA framework to strengthen documentation processes for students and staff across colleges of education nationwide. Officials said the move will promote data accuracy, transparency and administrative efficiency.

With Oyo State set to begin enforcement on March 1 and the EFCC committing to full cooperation at the national level, stakeholders described the moment as a convergence of state and federal resolve to address long-standing gaps in Nigeria’s address verification system. Observers noted that the success of the PoA rollout will depend on sustained public awareness, effective inter-agency coordination and strict compliance across all tiers of government.