Over 10,000 Front-End Partners (FEPs) have been trained nationwide as Nigeria moves closer to the full activation of the Local Government Proof of Address system, marking a significant milestone in efforts to standardise address verification at the grassroots level.
According to a progress update released by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the trained FEPs are drawn from across the states of the federation and are being prepared to commence enrolment as the rollout advances. ALGON noted that continuous retraining and revalidation will be carried out to ensure adherence to approved operational standards.
The update revealed that 405 Local Government Areas have already signed bye-laws making Proof of Address a mandatory requirement for accessing services within their jurisdictions, while 20 states have formally adopted the Proof of Address bye-laws, providing the legal backing for implementation at the subnational level. The update further disclosed that the remaining states and Local Government Areas are actively engaging relevant stakeholders to pass the extant law and complete the legal process required for full nationwide adoption.
To ensure nationwide alignment and stakeholder buy-in, sensitisation meetings were held across the six geopolitical zones. The South-West engagement took place on March 10, 2025, followed by the South-South on March 13, the South-East on March 17, while a joint session for the North-West, North-East and North-Central zones was held on June 17, 2025.
On capacity building, ALGON disclosed that Local Government desk officers have been trained in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with a total of 300 desk officers screened and equipped to support the commencement of the project nationwide.
The verification framework has also been strengthened, with the adoption of 2,000 field verifiers, working alongside technology-driven solutions, to authenticate residents who are not already captured in existing national and subnational databases.
ALGON stated that the scale of training, legal adoption and deployment underscores the commitment of local governments to delivering a credible, inclusive and locally driven Proof of Address system that will enhance service delivery, improve security coordination and strengthen data reliability across the country.