Clear excitement in the stock market has buoyed demand for post office boxes, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations can now reveal.
It is now a common sight to see people jostling for payment of post office boxes across the length and breadth of the Nigerian postal space especially in the urban centres where there is increased interest in the stock market.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that one of the necessary conditions for the stock business is security of mails emanating either from the stock market or from the investor.
Post office boxes of the Nigerian Postal Service in this regard serve as convenient and cost effective solution for the issue of missing share certificates and other important documents that seldom pervade the postal system. Post office boxes are also important for those who live in areas where the street names are not properly delineated.
Investigations by Nigeria CommunicationsWeek revealed that as at August this year, total number of boxes installed by the Lagos Mainland District of the Nigerian Postal Service stood at 97,084 against 94,784 installed in the same district for the same period last year.
Out of the total number of boxes installed for year 2008, 58,953 were rented for private use against 52,953 figures it had last year for the same purpose, recording an increase of 6,621. In the same vein, 15,880 subscribed for business boxes as at August last year while the number grew by175 to arrive at 16,055 within the same period this year.
However, demand for Private Mail Bags recorded a drop from the number it had last year. Within the period under review, P.M.Bs in use as at August 2007 amounted to 1,548 as against 1,498 it recorded in August this year. This could be as a result of the interest which this medium serves. Users of the P.M.Bs are mostly large organizations and establishments.
Baring additional subscribers on the list of the Ikeja Mainland district of Nipost for the month of September 2008 , the district has outstanding 22,076 number of boxes already installed but yet to be taken. This shows the district‘s readiness to meet with the rising demand of post office boxes.
