EFCC Promises Support As Oyo Enforces Proof Of Address System March 1

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

Also, the initiative gained momentum with the formal adoption and backing of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has pledged full cooperation in its implementation.

The anti-graft agency is working in partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria to drive grassroots deployment of the system across all 774 local government areas.

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, which is coordinating the project at the federal level.

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

Signed by secretary to the state government (SSG), Prof. Musibau Adetunji Babatunde, the circular directed that all official transactions requiring address verification must henceforth comply with the approved PoA framework.

It further mandates each MDA to appoint a desk officer, not below Grade Level 09 or 10, to serve as the PoA focal person and coordinate reporting within the state’s central implementation structure.

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

At an earlier sensitisation programme held at the Western Hall of the 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 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which has pledged full cooperation in its implementation.

During the meeting, EFCC secretary, Muhammed Hammajoda, who represented the commission’s chairman, 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.