Established by the colonial masters in 1852, The Nigerian postal service (NIPOST) dates back to the 19th Century. Government-owned and operated corporation, NIPOST provides postal administration and services to Nigerians.
There are over 5000 running post offices with more than 20,000 employees hence its wide coverage.
On January 1, 1914 the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were formed to create Nigeria.
Nigeria’s first stamps were issued on June 1, 1914 and continued until 1932 with many changes in watermark, colours and shades, coloured papers etc., with 4 different types of the £1 top value identified by specialised stamp collectors.
The rarest Nigeria stamps are the sideways and inverted watermark errors found on several values of the 1938-51 definitive issue.
The first issue of independent Nigeria was issued on October 1, 1960, following with a definitive issued on 1 January 1961.
In 1963 Nigeria became a Republic within the British Commonwealth and a new definitive set was issued on 1 November 1965.
Between 1960 and 1961, Nigerian definitives of 1953-57 were overprinted “CAMEROONS/U.K.T.T.” for use in Southern Cameroons of the British Mandate territory of British Cameroons.
This issue was also valid for use in Northern Cameroons until it joined Nigeria. In 1961, Southern Cameroons became part of Cameroon.
Between 30 May 1967 and 15 January 1970, the region of Biafra attempted to secede from Nigeria and issued their own postage stamps. Eventually, after a bloody civil war they rejoined Nigeria.
Today, 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. Every local government in each state have Post offices.
POSTAL REGIONS AND THEIR STATES
REGION 1
With a postal code 100001, Lagos is the leading State in this region as well as Ogun state with postal code 110001.
REGION 2
Headed by Oyo State with postal code 200001, It has other states Kogi, Kwara and Osun State.
REGION 3
The lead dispatch district for this region is Edo State (300001) with states like Delta, Ondo, and Yobe.
REGION 4
This region consists of Enugu (400001), Abia, Anambra, and Imo State.
REGION 5
Rivers (500001), Akwa Ibom and Cross River State.
REGION 6
Borno with postal code 600001, Adamawa and Taraba State.
REGION 7
Kano 700001, Bauchi and Jigawa State.
REGION 8
Kaduna 800001, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Ebonyi State.
REGION 9
Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) 900001, Niger and Plateau State.
