Your parcels, letters, or goods you purchased from an online store might not be delivered to your doorstep or destination because of one major reason and that is by not entering your correct postal code. Entering a wrong postal code in the address field is a practice most people are guilty of in Nigeria today. At the end the culprits will end up blaming the online store or NIPOST for a failed delivery. What is a postal code? I guess some people are yet to know what it really is. Well, this post will serve as an eye opener, and it also contains the complete postal codes of major cities in Nigeria.
You should also note the fact that no single postal code works for all areas or locations in Nigeria. Maybe before now you have always believed that the postal code 23401 0r 110001 works for all areas within Nigeria, I am sorry to tell you that you are totally wrong. Simply put, postal codes vary for each state, city, and even localities within Nigeria.
For you to get the right postal codes for your location no matter where it is within the country, you should always make use of the Nigeria Postal Code system you will find at nigeriapostcodes.com. The system works by you providing information about your state, town, area, and locality. At the moment, it is for sure the most reliable online resource for finding the correct post codes for areas within Nigeria.
Also read: List of cities in Anambra State
What is a Postal Code?
Postal codes are some set of numbers usually six digits that makes it easy for postal service to determine where to send a mail or package.
Postal codes show the extent of delivery jurisdiction and every delivery point that falls under this jurisdiction is one postal code. At the same time, any point beyond that jurisdiction is usually referred to as another postal code. This simply means that postal codes are tied to particular geographical locations, specifically cities.
History of Postal Codes
The origin of postal code started as a way or preventing postal services or offices from carrying out too many duties. As a result of the increasing complexity of postal deliveries, increased number of buildings, and the growing population, the postal code were used to identify individual cities.
At first, the codes began with postal zonal numbers, but during the 1930s the idea of extending the zonal numbering beyond large cities to stretch to even smaller towns was made. The evolution of the zonal numbering can be seen in the system used for postal codes in the US nomenclature. It is known as the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP).
The current postal code system was introduced in 1932 by the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). Though this system faced some challenges, it gradually took off in other countries from 1941 to this very date.
Basically, the postal code pattern is numeric, but there are some codes that are alphanumeric – combining both letters and numbers.
The alphanumeric postal code system can enlist far more cities than that of the numeric. For example, the two digit numeric code can represent about 100 locations while a two character alphanumeric code using ten numbers and twenty letters can represent up to 900 locations.
Must read: Map of Nigeria showing details of the 36 states and FCT
In some cases, specific postal codes are usually assigned to individual addresses ot to institutions that receive large amount of mails. This is a typical example of government agencies or large commercial companies.
As I have said earlier, the postal code system makes enables the postman to locate the closest post office. This makes it easier for packages and letters to deliver from one post office to the other. Once the letter or package gets to the nearest post office in the locality, it can be easily delivered to the address of the recipient.
You might be wondering if there is any particular difference between postal code and ZIP code. To satisfy your curiosity, both are actually the same thing. ZIP code is the name used in the United States of America, while postal codes apply to other countries in the world.
As at February 2005, we have 117 of the 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union that use the Postal Code system, and Nigeria is one of them. The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) was established in the year 1985, and it is an organization responsible for the collection, sorting and delivery of mails across the country. All this will not be easy and efficient without the existence of postal codes.
In our present day, there is an increased need for the postal code system, especially with the rise of importation and e-commerce business in the country. The e-commerce market is currently worth $12 billion and in 2018, about 53,812 parcels and packages were handled which is equivalent to 200 parcels per day.
NIPOST divides the country into 9 regions. Usually, the first digit of the code is the region which the city falls into. The second and third digits combined with the first are the dispatch district for outgoing sorting. And the last three digits represent the delivery location. This location refers to the post office, rural or urban area.
Postal Codes of States in Nigeria
Below is the comprehensive list of postal codes in different states in Nigeria and the FCT.
- Abia, Umuahia – 440001
- Abuja, Abuja – 900001
- Adamawa, Yola – 640001
- Akwa Ibom – 520001
- Anambra – 420001
- Bauchi – 740001
- Borno – 600001
- Cross-River, Calabar – 540
- Delta – 320001
- Edo – 300001
- Enugu – 400001
- Imo – 460001
- Jigawa – 720001
- Kano – 700001
- Kaduna – 800001
- Katsina – 820001
- Kebbi – 860001
- Kogi – 260001
- Kwara – 240001
- Lagos – Island 101001
- Lagos – Mainland 100001
- Niger – 920001
- Ogun – 110001
- Ondo – 340001
- Osun – 230001
- Oyo – 200001
- Plateau – 930001
- Rivers – 500001
- Sokoto – 840001
- Taraba – 660001
- Yobe – 320001
- Ebonyi, Abakaliki – 840001
Conclusion
I am sure by now you must have understood the importance of postal codes. The next time you want to send mails, parcels receive packages from abroad, be sure to enter the write post codes for the respective state you want the delivery to be made. You can easily bookmark this page for future reference, as it contains the comprehensive list of postal codes in various states in Nigeria.
