The Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) has called on African postal bodies to seek opportunities offered by technology to improve on financial inclusion.
Hosting representatives of the Pan-African Postal Union Committee on Technology in Abuja on Tuesday, Nigeria’s Postmaster General and boss of the NIPOST, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi highlighted the place of technology in the face of new global business ideas and opportunities.
Adewusi, while stressing the need to be compliant with global trends, reminded those at the meeting that with decline in ordinary mail, postal bodies must avail themselves of the technical know-how.
He said, “Effort should be intensified on Financial Inclusion, through collaboration with Financial Institutions like Banks considering the Post’s spread.
“E-commerce items are on the increase in Europe and other climes. How do we avail ourselves with the emerging trend considering the decline in ordinary mail?”
Adewusi explained that the Operations and Technical Committee PAPU is an important one just as he added that the committee serves as the technical and operational mind of PAPU.
He added, “The Committee’s work is geared towards helping the regional Posts in Africa to modernize and upgrade our products and services.”
In his speech, the NIPOST boss also called attention to issues of supply chains where conveyance of mails within African, and the larger world should be considered in relation to the airlines.
He said it was important for PAPU to deliberate on relationships with different Customs agencies of respective countries as part of strategies towards seamless operations.
He added that it was necessary for PAPU to look into security of mails at every point from acceptance, processing, dispatches, delivery and improvement in the quality of service
On the issue of customer satisfactions, Adewusi said operators must improve on service delivery in order recover their share of the markets that had been taken over.
The NIPOST boss emphasized on the need for greater ICT adoption as part of efforts to ensure improve revenue through more reliable services.
Speaking earlier, Assistant Secretary General of PAPU, Assistant Secretary General PAPU, Jessica H Ssengooba, said the Operations and Technology Committee has an important task at the commencement of its inaugural meeting.
He said the Ministers in charge of the Post mandated this Committee to drive the modernization and digital transformation of the African Postal Services.
He said, “In today’s digital economy architecture, the Post has to maintain its important role in the national socio-economic discourse and continue to transform both its operations and service bouquet.”
He said the General Secretariat is in discussion with a number of interested partners that include MasterCard, AFRALTI, AFCAC, AFRAA, and EUROGIRO, among others.
He added, “It is our fervent belief that these partnerships will enhance and promote the work of the Post in Africa.”
About PAPU:
The Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) is a specialized institution of the African Union. Its main objective is to coordinate all activities aimed at developing postal services on the African continent.
PAPU was established by the constitutive Plenipotentiary Conference of African ministers in charge of postal services, held in 1980 in Arusha, Tanzania. The Conference had been convened by the OAU Secretary General following a decision by African Heads of State and Government during their summit in Libreville, Gabon, of 2nd to 6th July in 1977.
The Union was established by the Heads of State and Government of the then Organization of African Union (OAU), pursuant to a Resolution taken during the aforementioned meeting in Libreville. Thereafter, the Convention formally establishing PAPU as a specialized agency of the OAU was signed during the Constitutive Plenipotentiary Conference held on 18th January 1980 in Arusha.
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