Liberia: Ministry of Post and Telecom Launches National Digital Address System

The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has launched a national digital address system to boost the operation of the country’s postal delivery services.

The digital address system will showcase Liberia’s position among other countries through the use of technology as well as to provide efficient services for the Liberian public. 

The system will enable police service to address and deal effectively with crimes quickly. Health providers, fire and ambulance services can use the system to promptly identify locations to save lives faster.

In 2009, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) passed a resolution mandating all members’ countries to initiate addressing systems within their respective countries. 

The Ministry of Post and Telecommunication said that launch is in fulfillment of the resolution, code name “Addressing the World, an Address for everyone.

It said that the first pilot phase addressed 15,000 structures around the Congo Town belt, specifically the beach side.

“With the assertion of his Excellency President George M. Weah’s led government, the second pilot phase was launched in 2019 addressing 25,100 structures including vacant lots and structures under constructions taking into consideration Sinkor and Monrovia, respectively, a statement from the Ministry read.

However, the statement said that with the digital migration overwhelmingly taking center stage of technology the ministry was able to strategize to transition from physical addressing system to digital addressing system to make it easier to locate people in time of service delivery.

The project according to the Ministry is a public private partnership agreement with SnooCode, an IT based international company aimed to fast track the endeavor.

“Today, the whole of Liberia is covered with a digital address and the work is ongoing to complete the operationalization of codes and onboard everyone,” the statement added.

 Launching the system yesterday in Monrovia, the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr. said the program is meant to move the country ahead with digital technology services.

“After this program, the first digital address of the country will be placed on the Executive Mission. For the past years, this ministry has worked to introduce the program. It is against this background the ministry introduced postal offices at the county level to address the needs of the rural people. This program is an initiative on a public private partnership business that has gone through the PCC processes,” he said.

He however underscored the need for a law for everyone to have a digital address across the country.

Minister Kruah said eventually Liberians will have to pay some fees in order to sustain the program. 

“The system is built to address critical health issues through technology. Let the citizens come to the Ministry in request for digital addresses. Very soon the Ministry will start providing digital addresses for the citizens. The system launched today is intended for the country to solve problems. We want all Liberians to patronize the project,” he explained.

Also speaking, U.S Ambassador to Liberia, Michel McCarthy said the launch of the new address system could promote the government’s decentralization policies if enabling legislations are put into place.

According to him, the program is harnessing the power to improve the lives of the citizens, adding that the country now has an accurate address system in the world.

“I encourage the government to wrap up with the possibilities by creating the necessary legislation for the enabling environment that can enhance the decentralization program,” he stated.

For his part, the Founder and CEO of SnooCODE Ltd, Sesinam Dagadu said that the new digital address system shall cover all over the country. 

“It is a matter of downloading the App. I encourage the youth to take advantage of the program for business purposes. The app gives information about all kinds of diseases and illnesses. We have this partnership with the government and we wish to expand in future,” he said.