HISTORYOFTHENIGERIANPOSTALSERVICE
ThehistoryofthePostinNigeriadatesbackto19thcentury.ThefirstpostofficewasestablishedbytheBritishColonialMastersin1852.ItwasconsideredtobeapartoftheBritishpostalsystem.ItwasabranchofLondonGeneralPostOfficeandthiswasthesituationtill1874.(1862)whenthePostOfficebeganitscareerasafullfledgeDepartment,theRoyalNigerCompany(RNC)whichwasactivelyinvolvedineconomicactivitiesinthecountry,setupitsownpostalsysteminAkassain1887,Calabarin1891,Burutuin1897andLokojain1899.MailwerebeingmovedfromthesetradingstationstoandfromLagosbyaweeklymailboat.
In1898,theBritishPostOfficeestablishedpostofficesatBadagary,Epe,Ikorodu,Ijebu-Ode,IbadanandAbeokuta.In1892,theRoyalNigerCompanybecameamemberoftheUniversalPostalUnion.By1908,MoneyOrdersandmailweredirectlyexchangedwiththeGermanWestAfricanColoniesinsteadofviaLondon,asitwasthepractice.
In1925,RoyalAirforceplanesflewfromKanotoCairocarryingmailforthefirsttimeoutsidethecountry.FromJanuary1,1900,theSouthernNigeriaGovernmenttookovertheresponsibilityofrunningthepostalsystemintheentirecountry.Therewerenottoomanygoodroadinthosedaysassuchmailwereconveyedbycanoes,launchersandrunnerswhichcouldonlyoperateatintervalsoftwoweeksorless.
Thefirstpost-officeinNorthernNigeriawasestablishedandlocatedatLokojain1899.Whilemaildeliverywasinitiallythebusinessfocus,BritishPostalorderswerebeingsoldandencashedasfrom1907inpostofficeslocatedatheadquartersofallDistrictCommissioners.InternalAirMailflightsstartedin1931.By1906,27PostOfficeswereoperatingandatthetimeofindependencein1960,176PostOffices,10subPostofficesand1,000Postalagencieswereinthecountry.
Atindependence,thepostwasadministeredjointlywithTelecommunicationsasagovernmentdepartment.Later,postalestablishmentsandservicesgrewinleapsandbounds.TheFederalGovernmentbyDecreeNo.22of1966madethedepartmentaquasi-commercialorganisationasteptowardsmakingitmoreefficientandresponsivetopublicneeds.
TheNigeriaPostalserviceDepartmentcameintobeingwiththeestablishmentoftheNigeriaTelecommunicationsLimited(NITEL)onJanuary1,1985.NITELemergedfromthemergeroftheTelecommunicationsarmofthedefunctPostandTelecommunicationsDepartmentoftheMinistryofCommunicationswiththeformerNigeriaExternalTelecommunicationsLimited(NET).ThroughthepromulgationofdecreeNo.18of1987,NIPOSTbecameanExtra-MinisterialDepartment.
ThedecreeprovidedamongotherfunctionsofNIPOST,thefollowing:
Toprovideandoperatefacilitiesforcollection,dispatchanddistributionofinlandandoverseasmailatreasonablecost.
Toprovideandoperatefacilitiesforremittanceofmoneythroughthemoneyorpostalordersystems.
ToprovideandoperatephilatelicservicesinNigeria.
Toprintandprovidepostagestampsforpaymentofpostagetariffandpaymentofstampduties.
TorepresentNigeriainitsrelationswithotherpostaladministrationsandotherbodiesconcernedwithpostalservices.Priorto1992,NIPOSToperatedasanExtra-MinisterialDepartmentintheMinistryofCommunicationswhileDecree18of1987wentthroughvariousamendments.
InresponsetothecalltograntNIPOSTsomemeasureofautonomy,theFederalGovernmentpromulgatedDecree41of1992andclassifiedNIPOSTasaGovernmentParastatalhavingthefollowingbasicfunctions:
Todevelop,promote,andprovideadequateandefficientlycoordinatedpostalservicesatreasonablerates.
Tomaintainanefficientsystemofcollection,sortinganddeliveryofmailnationwide.
Toprovidevarioustypesofmailservicestomeettheneedsofdifferentcategoriesofmailers.
ToestablishandmaintainPostalfacilitiesofsuchcharacterandinsuchlocationsconsistentwithreasonableeconomicsaswillenablethegeneralityofthepublictohavereadyaccesstoessentialpostalservices.
TorepresenttheFederalRepublicofNigeriaisherrelationswithotherPostalAdministrationsandInternationalbodies.
Inadditiontotheabovestatedfunctions,NIPOSTalsohaspowers:
TodeterminetheneedforPostOffices,Postalfacilitiesandequipmentasitmaydetermine.
Toprescribetheamountofpostagestampsandthemannerinwhichitistobepaid.
ToprovidePhilatelicServices.
ToestablishandreviewPostalTariff.
Toexploreadditionalservicestoboostitsrevenue.
Toprovideandestablishnon-postalorsimilarservices
