Digital Address System Implemented in Lagos to Enhance Tax Collection and City Management
In a bid to streamline its economy and curb tax avoidance, the vibrant and rapidly growing city of Lagos, Nigeria's top-performing state in terms of internally generated revenue (IGR), has introduced a revolutionary digital house numbering system. The initiative, launched on June 24, 2025, is expected to have a significant and multifaceted impact on tax evasion, urban planning, and service delivery.
At the heart of the system is the allocation of unique digital identifiers to all residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties throughout Lagos State. Each property will receive a QR-coded address plate, providing access to critical property data and making it much harder for properties to be untraceable or misreported, thereby directly tackling issues like tax evasion.
The digital house numbering system is a strategic move towards building a smarter, more efficient city. By assigning unique digital addresses embedded with geolocation coordinates and colour codes specific to local government areas, the system vastly improves spatial data accuracy and property mapping. This supports more effective urban planning and development as authorities gain clear, reliable data to manage population density, zoning, infrastructure needs, and future growth.
The digital numbering plates also simplify emergency response, postal delivery, waste collection, and logistics by providing precise, easy-to-identify location data. Emergency services like ambulances and fire departments can respond more quickly and accurately, reducing delays caused by unclear or inconsistent addresses. Other services, including e-commerce and municipal utilities, benefit from the improved addressing system, enhancing overall public service delivery and safety.
The digital solution is designed to fix the challenges of tax evasion and untraceable addresses in Lagos State. Officials will be able to better track property ownership, monitor usage, and enforce equitable tax compliance with the new system. The project aligns with Lagos’ smart city goals and offers a modern framework for sustainable urban development.
Additional benefits include the prevention of rental fraud through verified property identification and increased community participation by involving trained local youths in data collection and implementation, ensuring data accuracy and local engagement.
In summary, Lagos' digital house numbering system is poised to curb tax evasion, advance urban planning through precise data, and dramatically improve public service delivery and emergency response, marking a strategic move toward making Lagos a smarter, more efficiently managed city. The system is an expansion of earlier initiatives in transport, payment systems, and land administration, and it is expected to generate new revenue streams through improved tax inclusion.
- To tackle tax evasion effectively, Lagos' digital house numbering system will embed unique digital addresses on each property, making it difficult for properties to be untraceable or misreported, thus providing a more streamlined approach for finance management.
- The digital house numbering system in Lagos will not only impact tax evasion but also revolutionize technology, as it includes geolocation coordinates, QR codes, and a database of property information, leading to better urban planning, emergency response, and public service delivery.
