*Says, through NIPOST, Nigeria must regain by technology what it lost in technology
By Florence Israel, Abuja
The Federal Government has announced its preparedness to restructure and modernise the nation’s postal services agency after decades of abandonment.
Speaking during the launching of the two booklets, NIPOST Vision 2020 and Restructuring and Modernising Nigerian Postal Service, the Minister for Communications, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, said it had become necessary to restore the postal services agency with its wide reach in order to attain sustainable viability including ability to cope in the ICT era.
“The Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, is one of the oldest public and widest available public institution established in the country with about a 1,300 offices in all the 774 LGAs.
“Major developments in ICT and other communications, and the availability of electronic mails, various forms of social media and the democratization of broadband services to data services and the commercial viability of the simple access worldwide; these situations have led the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications, to conduct extensive intellectual exercise in fashioning out the best means of attaining sustained viability as concerns NIPOST.
“Government believes the sustainable viability of NIPOST is predicated on the vast landmarks and offices which offers huge opportunities for the transmission of services to all books and crannies of the nation.
“The challenge before NIPOST and the government is to cease the vast and viable population, existing landmarks and infrastructure, teaming Nigerian youths, ICT and other available resources to meet the constantly changing dynamics in postal services. We must therefore strive to regain, by technology, what we have lost in technology through NIPOST. The first step is the reenactment of the NIPOST reform bill which is before the National Assembly”, the Minister said.
The Communications Minister went further to explain the plans for the restructuring to include invitation to private companies and individuals to buy into NIPOST properties such as landmarks for offices and estate services, commercialization of NIPOST transportation services, e – Commerce, NIPOST general services and support company units, business companies and other franchise services, NIPOST post-bank and financial services to reach out to about estimated 50 percent of Nigerians that lack access to banking services and finally NIPOST e-government services, which includes online registration for national passports and driving licenses within the localities.
“With these developments, the Post-Master General will now assume the office of the Group Chief Executive Officer supervising the CEOs of these subsidiaries each of which will have boards of directors and appropriate governance structures”, the Minister said.
In view of the above, the NIPOST Modernization Steering committee was inaugurated by the Minister to include the following people:
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Architect Sunny Echeono as the chairman, the Post Master General, Asiwaju Adebisi Adebiyi as the vice chairman.
Other members include, Mr. Aleen Yusuf, SA to Minister of Communications, Engr. Mrs. Ngozi Ogujiofor, Director Telecom and postal services, Mrs.Udoh, Director ICT, SSA to the Minister of NIPOST, representatives from NIPOST, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba and Alhaji Usman. One person each from the Bureau of Public Enterprises and CBN respectively.
The committee is expected to work with the office of the Honourable Minister and NIPOST to ensure the restructuring kicks off before the end of 2017.
Responding, the Post Master General said, “The memory of today shall remain indelible in our minds. It’s on record that the Honourable Minister have shown uncommon interest in reviving NIPOST. This is a demonstration of that commitment. We in NIPOST are very much encouraged by the zeal of the President Mohammadu Buhari led administration towards the implementation of of the postal services reform program”.
