When Someone Goes Missing in Nigeria,
The Information Becomes Fragmented.
Every year, many Nigerians are reported missing. Most cases are filed at a local police station, recorded on paper, and shared with no one beyond it. The information exists, but it sits in separate places: a station, a family, a hospital, a WhatsApp group, with no common way to make a verified case findable. A family in Kano has no way to learn that someone matching their missing relative’s description was found in Ogun.
Findr was built to close that gap.
What We've Built
Findr is an interoperable missing persons registry covering all 36 states. Verified cases are published through a documented public API, and alerts are emitted in OASIS CAP v1.2, the international standard for emergency alerting. A case recorded here can be read directly by a police system, a newsroom or a public alerting service, without anyone retyping it. When a case is reported and verified, it is published to the registry and a broadcast alert is sent to subscribers in the relevant state via SMS and email. Every case has a public page where updates are tracked in real time and anyone can submit a tip, by name or anonymously.
Each case page renders an interactive map of the last-seen location and nearby landmarks. Findr also generates a verified, downloadable poster for every case, pulled straight from the registry data with no design work required. Families and communities can circulate the same authoritative artefact instead of unverified social media flyers.
Verified case data is available through a documented public API and an OASIS CAP v1.2 alert feed, so a police system, a newsroom or another platform can read the registry directly rather than being sent a spreadsheet. Families have one place to go when someone disappears.
How We Operate
Findr operates as a civic technology initiative, based in Nigeria, built in public interest, with no advertising and no investor pressure on the registry. Sponsorship from institutional partners funds the broadcast infrastructure. The platform itself remains free for families, communities, and law enforcement.
Operating Principles
How we make decisions about the registry.
Verification first
No case goes live without review. Every report is assessed before it is published.
Open infrastructure
Case data is accessible via public API. We don't hoard information that could save lives.
State-level broadcast
Alerts are targeted by state rather than sent nationwide by default, to maximise relevance and reduce noise. A reviewer can widen a case when it warrants it.
Anonymous tip submission
Anyone can submit information on a case without disclosing their identity.
Interoperable by design
Built to plug in,
not stand alone.
Findr publishes its case data in the standard format used by public emergency-alert systems globally.
So when Nigerian carriers, broadcasters, or alerting platforms are ready to carry missing-persons cases, there is nothing for them to build. They already read the format.
Technical documentation is available at developers.findr.ng.
Leadership
The team building Findr.
FAQ
Questions about Findr.
What is Findr?
Findr is an interoperable missing persons registry covering all 36 states. Verified cases can be read by other systems through a documented public API and an OASIS CAP v1.2 alert feed. When a missing person report is verified, the case is published to the public registry and a state-targeted alert is broadcast by SMS and email to subscribers in the relevant state.
Who can use Findr?
Anyone. Families file reports and members of the public submit tips on open cases. Verified case data is open to journalists, law enforcement and partner institutions through the public API and the CAP v1.2 alert feed, which anyone can register for. The platform is free for families, communities, and law enforcement.
How are missing person reports verified?
Every submitted report is reviewed by the Findr team before publication. Verification typically completes within 72 hours, and sooner where a case is flagged as urgent. Reports that cannot be verified are not published to the public registry.
How are alerts broadcast?
Findr broadcasts state-by-state, not nationally. When a case is verified in Lagos, only subscribers in Lagos receive the SMS and email alert. This avoids alert fatigue and preserves the signal value of every notification.
Is Findr affiliated with the Nigerian Police Force?
No. Findr is an independent civic technology initiative. We don't investigate; we facilitate. We provide the digital infrastructure for verified case information to flow from the public to families and to the authorities who do the investigative work. Findr is not a law enforcement agency and does not have investigative powers.
How does Findr handle reporter and tip-submitter privacy?
Reporter contact details (phone number and email) are never displayed publicly. They are accessible only to Findr administrators for verification and follow-up. Tips can be submitted anonymously without identifying the submitter. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.
Who runs Findr?
Findr is operated by a small team covering engineering, operations, and legal compliance. It is published by Open Prairie, the parent entity, with Findr as its first product.
How is Findr funded?
Findr is currently funded out of pocket. The longer-term funding model combines foundation grants, corporate sponsorship for alert infrastructure, and corporate partner integrations fee through our developer API. The registry itself stays free for families, communities, and law enforcement. If you know a foundation or programme that might support our work, get in touch.
Take Action
A verified case reaches the people closest to it.
Every report is verified before it is published. Alerts go to subscribers in the state where the person was last seen, and can be widened nationally. Tips attach to the case file and reach the team reviewing it.
Stay informed.
Subscribe to be notified when a new missing persons case is reported in your state. You may be the one who has information that matters.
We’ll ask for your state so alerts only cover cases relevant to you. Unsubscribe any time.