August 12, 2025 – Lagos State Government has launched the pilot phase of its new digital house numbering system called the Identifier project, aimed at transforming property identification and service delivery in the state.
The project, which begins next week in Ikeja, was unveiled by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme organised by the Lagos State Office of Electronic Geographic Information System and Urban Development, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, at Victoria Island.
The digital house numbering system will assign a unique digital identity to each building in Lagos State. The system is designed to make navigation easier for emergency services, utility companies and residents, while improving the speed and quality of service delivery.
Governor Sanwo-Olu explained that the project is focused on using technology to solve land administration problems and improve urban management.
He said, “Lagos digital house numbering system is a novel idea. It is about technology, and that is one of the things that we are trying to achieve: using technology as a strong enabler to be able to resolve all our land issues, where from the comfort of your house you can access and resolve land title issues. It is still a journey, and we are not there yet, but this digital house numbering system is really more about ensuring that if you can get the address of a property, all the information that is needed on that property can be accessed, and people will see it.”
He also praised the Federal Government for the Renewed Hope Agenda to unlock the economic potential of land through the Nigeria Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme, adding that electronic land documentation is the best way forward to reduce physical interference and protect land rights.
Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde, said the Identifier project includes QR codes and local government-specific colour codes for easy identification of properties.
He described it as a major step towards modernising Lagos infrastructure and improving living conditions.
According to Dr Babatunde, the initiative will also strengthen security, increase revenue generation and improve service delivery.
He said, “House numbering and documentation has to do with ownership. So one of the byproducts of titling and documentation in land administration is also house numbering and digital addressing systems. So this is a digital addressing system. The digital house numbering is part of technology, and at the back end, we have all the information that we can share with the public. You can scan the QR code to get the information about a land, particularly bills and some other important information that we may need to know whether a building has an approval or not. We are now in the age of technology. We need to embrace technology.”
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, speaking at the event, announced plans to improve the percentage of titled land in Nigeria from the current 3 per cent to 50 per cent over the next decade.
He said this goal is part of wider reforms aimed at modernising land administration and making land a viable asset for wealth creation, housing delivery and inclusive growth.
The minister noted that the lack of formal land titles limits property owners’ ability to use land as collateral for loans and reduces the value of property transactions. He added that the new measures will allow states to retain control over land administration while encouraging the adoption of global best practices in land management.
According to Dangiwa, over 97 per cent of land in Nigeria remains untitled. He stressed that the new initiative will encourage digitisation of land registries, integration of geographic information systems and application of methods already implemented in Lagos State.
The Identifier project, according to Lagos State officials, represents a strategic move to unlock the full economic potential of land in Nigeria, enhance transparency in property ownership and improve governance in land management.
With a unique QR code embedded on each property’s plate, residents, government agencies and businesses will be able to access relevant details instantly, ranging from approval status to billing records.
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the project would create an environment where property-related information becomes easily accessible to both government and the public, reducing disputes and enhancing confidence in real estate transactions.
The state government also expects the digital addressing system to improve security monitoring and make it easier to track and respond to emergencies. By linking digital house numbers with geographic information systems, officials say the system will also help identify and address illegal constructions, manage urban growth more effectively and improve infrastructure planning.
The launch of the Identifier project marks a significant milestone for Lagos State in its bid to integrate advanced technology into public administration, streamline property identification and set the pace for other states to follow.
It reflects a shift towards data-driven urban planning, where property identification is tied to economic development and better service delivery.
This pilot phase in Ikeja will serve as a test for the wider rollout across the state, with authorities confident that the system will bring measurable improvements in how properties are managed, identified and utilised for economic growth.
