From Basil Obasi, Abuja
Report from the National Bureau of Statistics released at the weekend has indicated that the Nigerian Postal Service (NPS) earned N8.84billionn as revenue in 2016.
According to the report, stamp duty generated the highest amount of revenue of N4.09billion, representing about 46.34 per cent of the revenue generated in the year, while EMS/Speed post, parcel clearance/delivery fee and international mail income followed closely with N1.36bn, N726.85 million and N715.73million revenues generated, representing 15.38 per cent, 8.23 per cent and 8.10 per cent of the total revenue respectively.
The agency handled a total of 33.7 million mails domestically and internationally in 2016; 21.06 million ßmails which represent about 63 per cent of the mails handled locally while 7.7 million mails or 23 per cent of the total mails were dispatched abroad. Also, 4.94million mails or 15 per cent of the total mails were received from abroad and delivered in Nigeria.
Another report released by the Bureau on states disaggregated mining and quarrying report for 2016’ states that the country produced a total of 43.5 million tons of solid minerals in 2016.
According to the report, Ogun State produced the highest tons of solid minerals among the 36 states and the FCT, churning out about 16.4 million tons of solid minerals, representing 37.65 per cent of the solid minerals produced in the year.
This is followed closely by Kogi and Cross River which respectively produced 12.74 million and three million tons of solid minerals, representing about 29.29 per cent and 6.89 per cent of the total minerals produced, while Borno and Yobe states, both from the North Eastern Zone, produced the least solid minerals with 1,250 and 883.08 tons of minerals respectively.
The NBS, in this report, further disclosed that limestone is the most produced solid minerals in 2016 with 28,21million representing about 64.84 per cent of the total minerals produced; granite and laterite which respectively recorded 28.2 million and 2.16 million tons, representing 13.44 per cent and 4.97 per cent of the minerals produced in 2016, while aquamarine and beryl ore are the least produced solid minerals in 2016.