UNIVERSITY OF JOS

FACULTY: EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT:
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS
UNIT:
GUIDIANCE AND COUNSELLING

MATRIC NO: UJ/2018/ED/0530

NAME: BETTY OHAMA OTIGBO
COURSE CODE: SSE 422
COURSE TITLE: URBANIZATION,
TRANSACTION, AND COMMUNICATION IN
NIGERIA
QUESTIONS: Write extensively on Nigeria postal service
identifying its: history, main objective of establishing the
communication organization and challenges it's facing.
COURSE LECTURER: PROF. RUTH IRMIYA
DATE: 11th June, 2024
INTRODUCTION

Postal service is integral to a country's communication, economic development, and social cohesion. It
serves as a critical infrastructure that supports both personal and business needs, fostering connectivity
and growth. Postal services encompass a wide range of activities and offerings designed to facilitate the
sending and receiving of mail, packages, and other items.These services are designed to meet the
diverse needs of individuals, businesses, and organizations, ensuring efficient and reliable
communication and logistics support.

WHAT IS POSTAL SERVICE

A postal service is an organization or system that facilitates the collection, sorting, transportation, and
delivery of mail and parcels. It provides a variety of services to ensure the efficient and reliable exchange
of documents, packages, and other items between senders and recipients.

Components and functions of a postal service:

1. Mail Collection and Delivery

• Collection and Gathering mail from designated drop-off points, such as post offices, street mailboxes,
and corporate mailrooms.

• Sorting: Organizing mail by destination for efficient routing and delivery.

•Transportation: Moving mail through a network of vehicles, planes, and sorting facilities.

• Delivery: Distributing mail to final destinations, including homes, businesses, and P.O. boxes.

2. Parcel Services

•Handling packages of various sizes and weights.

• Offering different delivery options, such as standard, express, and overnight services.

3. Financial Services

• Providing money orders, postal savings accounts, and bill payment services.

• Offering remittance services for sending money domestically and internationally.

4. Specialized Services

• Registered Mail : Providing tracking and proof of delivery for important documents and valuables.

• Certified Mail: Offering proof of mailing and delivery for legal and official documents.

• Insured Mail : Protecting valuable items against loss or damage during transit.

5. Logistics
History of Nigeria postal service

Postal service in Nigeria goes back over a century. In 1852, the first ever post office was established by
the British Colonialists in Lagos and was considered a far-flung branch of the London General Post Office.
Usually, mail was moved between the main post office in Lagos and other locations like Ibadan,
Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode via boats and runners. Postal services wouldn’t be established in Northern
Nigeria till 1899 with the post office at Lokoja in present day Kogi. Post offices rapidly spread across the
Nigerian federation. By 1960, there were 176 post offices, 10 sub postal offices and 1000 postal agencies
operating in Nigeria.

NIPOST didn’t exist until 1985 when the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) was formally
founded. Prior to this, the postal service was jointly managed with Telecommunications as a
government department under the Ministry of Communications. NITEL was formed from the unification
of the Telecoms unit of the now-defunct Post and Telecommunications Department with the former
Nigeria External Telecommunications Limited (NET).

In 1987, NIPOST was made an extra-ministerial department through decree 18 by the government of
Ibrahim Babangida. This move gave the postal service some autonomy as it could function without
ministerial oversight. 5 years later, the postal service was granted even more autonomy via decree 41
and became a full fledged government parastatal.

In the past, NIPOST was plagued by shoddy handling and misplacement of parcels and packages. Letters
were misplaced and not delivered to intended recipients. The postal service has been proactive in
dealing with its faults. Under the 2004 law, the postal service cleaned up its act and began to move away
from focusing mainly on money orders and sending/delivering letters.

Updating facilities in some states and retraining postal staff has been effective in making the national
postal service operate better. One of the most innovative policies launched by NIPOST is the use of the
What3words system to address the chaotic address system in many states in Nigeria that have plagued
the ability of the post office to carry out its duties. Many Nigerian homes lack an address which makes
the task of delivering a letter or even a parcel to such a home an impossible task. With the partnership
with What3words, houses in both rural and urban areas will get an address and make the work of
NIPOST a lot easier.

There are over 5000 running post offices with more than 20,000 employees hence its wide coverage.
The Nigerian Postal office provides services like

Mail services, Counter services, Private mail bag, Special delivery, Financial services, Postal media.

NIPOST divides the country into 9 regions which makes up the first digit of the code. The second and
third digits combined with the first are the dispatch district for outgoing sortings. The last 3 digits
represent the delivery locations- post office facility, rural area or an urban area. The postal head office
has their postal code ending with 0001. The Abuja has a postal code 900001, Lagos 100001 and Port
Harcourt 500001.

Objectives of Nigeria postal service

The Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) has several key objectives aimed at enhancing its operations and
service delivery. These objectives are designed to ensure that NIPOST remains a relevant and
competitive player in the postal and logistics sector. These objectives include:

1. Universal Service Provision: To provide and operate facilities for collection, dispatch and distribution
of inland and overseas mail at reasonable cost. Ensuring accessible, affordable, and efficient postal
services across Nigeria, including rural and underserved areas.

2. Operational Efficiency: Streamlining processes to improve the speed, reliability, and security of postal
services.

3. Financial Viability: Enhancing revenue generation through diversified services and efficient financial
management. To provide and operate facilities for remittance of money through the money or postal
order systems.

4. Customer Satisfaction: Improving service quality to meet customer expectations and needs.

5. Technological Integration: Leveraging modern technology to upgrade infrastructure, enhance service

delivery, and introduce innovative products.

6. Workforce Development: Investing in training and capacity building for staff to improve productivity
and service standards.

7. Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to national and international postal regulations and standards.

8. Partnership and Collaboration: Establishing strategic alliances with other postal services, logistics
providers, and stakeholders to expand service offerings.

9. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: Promoting environmentally sustainable practices

and contributing to community development. To establish and maintain Postal facilities of such
character and in such locations consistent with reasonable economics as will enable the generality of the
public to have ready access to essential postal services.

10. To provide and operate philatelic services in Nigeria.

11. To print and provide postage stamps for payment of postage tariff and payment of stamp duties.

12. To represent Nigeria in its relations with other postal administrations and other bodies concerned
with postal services. Prior to 1992, NIPOST operated as an Extra-Ministerial Department in the Ministry
of Communications while Decree 18 of 1987 went through various amendments.
Challenges of Nigeria postal service

The Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) faces several significant challenges that impact its efficiency and
service delivery. Key challenges include:

1. Infrastructure Deficiency: Outdated and inadequate infrastructure, including poor road networks and
limited postal facilities, hampers effective service delivery, especially in rural areas. Infrastructure is the
backbone of any postal service, ensuring the smooth and efficient movement of mail and parcels.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria, postal infrastructure is lacking.

2. Technological Lag: Limited adoption of modern technologies affects operational efficiency, tracking,
and customer service.

3. Financial Constraints: Insufficient funding and revenue generation limit NIPOST's ability to invest in
infrastructure, technology, and workforce development.

4. Competition: Intense competition from private courier companies and digital communication
alternatives has reduced demand for traditional postal services.

5. Operational Inefficiencies: Bureaucratic processes, inefficient management, and lack of automation

lead to delays and unreliable services.

6. Security Issues: The postal service in Nigeria faces significant security challenges. There is a
widespread lack of trust in the system, from theft and pilferage to the risk of sending sensitive
information through the mail. Theft, vandalism, and loss of mail and parcels undermine customer trust
and increase operational costs.

7. Regulatory Challenges: Navigating complex regulatory requirements and ensuring compliance with
national and international postal standards can be burdensome.

8. Workforce Issues: Inadequate training, low morale, and insufficient staff can negatively impact
service quality and customer satisfaction.

9. Customer Perception: A negative public perception due to past service failures and delays challenges
efforts to regain customer trust and market share.

10. Environmental Factors: Issues such as flooding, poor weather conditions, and other environmental
challenges can disrupt postal services.

11. Lack of professionals: in the areas of digital technology, business management, sales, supply chain
management and logistics experts to reposition the agency to be more competitive, productive and
profitable.
Conclusion

The advent of digital technologies has made communication faster and more convenient, and they have
also left the postal service in Nigeria grappling with reduced letter and parcel volumes.

Private courier and logistics companies have proliferated in Nigeria, offering faster and more efficient
services than the traditional postal system. The competition has eroded the market share of NIPOST and
left it struggling to compete in terms of speed and reliability.

Addressing these challenges requires strategic reforms, investments in technology and infrastructure,
improved management practices, and fostering partnerships with private sector players and
international postal services. Moreover, many post offices lack modern equipment and technology to
manage the volume of mail and packages efficiently.

low level of investment, vast but obsolete infrastructure and facilities; dysfunctional internal system,
unredeemed pension payments, untrained and poorly motivated workforce, etc. has made the agency
unattractive, unreliable and unsustainable.

Reference

Kirk-Greene, A. H. M., Jack Ince, and John Sacher. "The Postal Services of the British Nigeria Region."
International Journal of African Historical Studies 27, no. 2 (1994): 454.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/221072.

Odior, A. O., and G. C. Ovuworie. "Operation and management of a postal service system: a case study
of general post office in Benin-City, Nigeria." International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences 3, no.
3 (May 7, 2008).

Proud, Edward Wilfrid Baxby. The postal history of Nigeria. Heathfield: Proud Bailey, 1995.

Zome, Nathaniel. Reforming the post in Nigeria: The story of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), 1989-
2004. Suleija: Oladoyinbo Publishers, 2008.