Bauchi Head of Civil Service Describes Proof of Address Initiative as timely and strategic.

By Aliyu Adamu Fagg

The Bauchi State Government, in collaboration with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria ALGON and its Technical Partners on the Proof of Address PoA initiative, has organized a one-day sensitisation workshop for representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs and Local Government Councils.

The workshop, held at the Executive Nest Hotel along ATBUTH off Maiduguri Bypass in Bauchi, focused on the importance of establishing a reliable Proof of Address system to enhance governance and service delivery.

Declaring the workshop open, the Head of Civil Service, Barrister Mohammed Sani Umar, described the initiative as timely and strategic, noting that accurate data, transparency and accountability are critical to effective governance.

He said the PoA system would provide a credible framework for identifying residents, thereby improving planning, security and service delivery across the state.

Barrister Umar emphasized the importance of collaboration between state and local governments, noting that local councils, being closest to the people, play a central role in validating residency and ensuring grassroots implementation.

He urged participants to drive awareness, ensure compliance and support the successful rollout of the initiative.

The Head of Civil Service further highlighted the benefits of the programme to include strengthened security architecture, improved policy formulation through reliable data, enhanced revenue generation and promotion of inclusive governance.

He said Governor Bala Muhammad’s continued commitment to strengthen governance, promoting innovation and improving service delivery in Bauchi State is commendable.

In his remarks, the ALGON Chairman in the state, Alhaji Mahmood Babamaji, commended Governor Bala Mohammed for creating an enabling environment for local governments to support the initiative.

He also acknowledged the efforts of the national ALGON leadership in facilitating active participation of council chairmen.

Babamaji explained that the initiative would involve systematic numbering of houses and locations across communities, with digital registration capturing residents’ addresses at ward and local government levels to ensure accuracy and accessibility.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees NULGE also Head of Admin Tafawa Balewa, Comrade Mohammed Yunusa, underscored the significance of the PoA system, particularly for rural dwellers and noted that proper address identification would make it easier to locate residences and improve service access.

He pledged the union’s support towards the successful implementation of the programme.

Providing an overview of the initiative, the Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Isi Okwuadi, said the local government Proof of Address scheme is a national initiative driven by ALGON in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Nigerian Postal Service NIPOST as the coordinating agency.

She explained that the initiative aims to consolidate address data nationwide into a centralized system to support economic planning and national development.

Okwuadi outlined key implementation strategies, including enforcement and monitoring, verification processes, and sustained public awareness, describing them as critical to achieving widespread adoption.