The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NIPOST

  • ‘We will reposition NIPOST for better performance’

    The Chairperson, board of Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Maimuna Yahaya Abubakar, says the organization would be re-positioned for better performance and be in a position to compete with its sister organisations across the globally.‎ ‎

    Abubakar made the  remark on Wednesday in Kano when she led other board members to an inspection tour of its facilities in the state. ‎

    She said that all machinery would be put in place to take NIPOST to where its services would be compared with similar organizations in the world.‎

    She said that ‎the service would use ICT as a tool to further improve on the efficiency of its service delivery.

    According to her, the organisation had introduced innovative products in order to enable it compete in the global space.

    The Chairperson added that the service has units like NIPOST property, bank, logistics all in an effort to enable it provide world class postal service.

    She said that products such as e-stamp, e-commerce and agency banking, among others as some of the innovations launched by the agency.

    ‎‎Abubakar said that the introduction of agency banking, where people can easily send money to their loved ones, across the country would increase patronage.‎‎

    She added that the banking services would avail many Nigerians especially those in rural areas the opportunity to carry out banking transactions. ‎‎    ‎ ‎‎‎   ‎‎ ‎‎

    ‎(NAN)

  • ICT Roadmap: NIPOST to create 250,000 jobs

    The Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST) is to create additional 250,000 jobs by 2020, an official said in Lagos.

    The NIPOST Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Mr Thomas Gaga, made this known at the launch of the Nigeria ICT Roadmap 2017-2020.

    The occasion featured a sensitisation workshop on the roadmap.

    Gaga said the jobs would be created through the implementing of the roadmap.

    According to him, implementation of the roadmap would enable NIPOST to create e-stamps, engage in e- commerce and generate more revenue.

    Gaga also said the implementation would strengthen NIPOST’s presence nationwide.

    He said NIPOST had property nationwide and desired to collaborate with the private to turn the property around.

    NIPOST, he said, will private sector in e-commerce activities to boost performance.

    “We are also looking at financial inclusion; we want to collaborate with the financial sector to provide services for the underserved and rural areas.

    “NIPOST will also like to partner with banks on address verification system, so that we can have the authentic address of citizens,” he said.

    Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Corporate Planning, Strategy and Risk Management Deputy Director Augustine Odo, said the roadmap would enable both public and private sectors to prosper.

    He said the ICT roadmap would play vital roles in the collaboration of both private and public sectors which would boost the nation economy.

    Odo said the roadmap would serve as a communication tool and a high level document that would help to articulate strategic thinking to achieve goals.

    “ICT plays significant roles in all sectors; for instance even in the agriculture sector, technology is needed to boost production. The role of ICT in the educational sector also cannot be overruled; we are in a digital world where students make use of computers and internet to further educates themselves,” he said.

  • Five companies emerge from NIPOST, says Minister

    Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) will soon be unbundled into five companies, Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu has disclosed.

    Speaking at the 4th series of the INDO-AFRICA ICT EXPO 2018 on Digital Transformation in Lagos, Shittu explained the plan is to transform NIPOST from transmission of letters and postal materials to a profitable venture.

    The postal agency, he revealed, will give birth to NIPOST Banking and Insurance Company, NIPOST Property and development Company, NIPOST Transport Company, NIPOST e-Commerce Services and NIPOST e-Government Services Company.

    “These five new companies are platforms within which investors can make enquiries, come in and invest; the opportunities within these five companies will be limitless, “Shittu stated.

    The Minister called on the private sector, particularly those whose businesses are driven by Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to take full opportunity of the Indo-Africa ICT Expo.

    According to him: “It is not enough for Nigerian businesses to be mere marketers of ICT products and services.

    “They must rather collaborate with the right group to establish ICT platforms and factories that will promote skills training and employment opportunities in the country.

    “Foreign ICT companies that want to do business in Nigeria must be prepared to establish ICT factories in Nigeria.”

     

  • NIPOST, Bics take banking to grassroots

    Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) and Bics Enterprise are collaborating to bring financial services to the grassroots. The Software Group, a global technology firm, will provide the technological backbone needed to implement the partnership.

    The agent distribution network, according to Bics, will provide employment for over 10,000 youths and add 20 million unbanked and underserved Nigerians to the banking system, within two to three years after deployment.

    Bics’ Director, Corporate Services, Greg Nwamadi, said: “The major objective of Bics Enterprise is to provide channels to drive financial banking to rural areas. We are ruling out an agent distribution network that will provide employment for over 10,000 Nigerians in a short term.

    ”We are going to activate NIPOST locations as transaction centres which are about 4000 locations. Every location will have a mandate, because we are going to be involving micro-finance banks worldwide.

    The agreement we have with NIPOST on this innovation is exclusive to micro-finance banks and non- financial banking institutions. Commercial banks can come as settlement bank. We are already discussing with one or two of them to come in as settlement banks.”

    Sales Manager, Africa, Software Group, Joseph Agyeman-Badu noted that the innovation was a direct drive to the achievement of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) 2013 financial inclusion goal. “Going on a national level is not a walk in a park; we will need to take some time. When we are done with our plotting, we will be ready to go on a national scale. This innovation is a direct drive towards CBN’s 2013 financial inclusion goal.

    “The underserved and the unbanked are the people that you won’t find in Lagos but in rural areas. 90 million Nigerians today do not even have bank accounts or   access financial services. This innovation is going to break that gap. In  another two to three years, we will add at least 20 million out of the 90 million unbanked and underserved into the banking space.”

     

  • NIPOST launches e-money services in Enugu

    The Nigerian Postal Service has launched its Electronic online Money Order Service at the ongoing 29th Enugu International Trade Fair, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN reports that the NIPOST Post-cash is the only medium through which participants at the fair send and receive money as there are no other banking services in the complex.

    NIPOST General Manager (Marketing Department) Irmiya Kylawe, said the service had been making brisk businesses sending and paying their customers at the fair.

    Kylawe said the process was an instant one stop shop of sending and receiving money across the country.

    He described the post-cash as efficient and reliable, adding that the patronage had been high since the fair began.

    The general manager said post-cash was one of the innovations and products introduced to revive NIPOST and make it competitive.

    “There are lots of services that we are rendering here through reinvention of our old products. You can see that participants at the fair have been paying and even receiving money by using our Point of Sales (POS).

    “This is the only banking service in the trade fair for now and it is serving them,” he said.

    Kylawe said that the innovations became necessary in order to attract people back to the products of NIPOST.

  • Agency banking: Keystone Bank, NIPOST partner

    Keystone Bank Limited yesterday launched ‘KeyServ’, an Agency Banking Proposition to serve customers outside its conventional brick and mortar mode of banking.

    The initiative, which is in partnership with Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and i-OneC, a financial technology firm, is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) Financial System Strategy (FSS 2020) goals to increase financial inclusion uptake in Nigeria.

    According to the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bank Limited, Obeahon Ohiwerei: “Enabling Financial Inclusion is our core area of focus and we have partnered with other industry players to deploy Digital Financial Solutions/ Platforms for improved access to finance; leveraging data to improve the product offerings, personalised and predictive customer service, and uncovering new customer segments”.

    The recent reports on adult Nigerians, according to Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), is that 40.1 million is financially excluded. That represents 41.6 per cent of 96.4 million adults. “To this end, we are partnering with NIPOST and i-OneC to offer financial inclusion services to un(der)banked Nigerians especially in the rural and less urban areas.”

    Under this partnership, KeyServ (Keystone Agency Banking Services) offers services such as account opening, bills payment, cash-in, cash-out, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Services, fund transfers, balance enquiries, ATM cash withdrawals, mini statements and a whole lot more.

    “One landmark feature of KeyServ (Keystone Agency Banking Services) is that it offers affordable access to financial services than the traditional banking methods” Ohiwerei reiterated.

    Also, speaking at the launch, the Executive Director Corporate Banking & South, Keystone Bank, Yemi Odusanya, added that “with this scheme, customers, especially in the rural areas will enjoy unfettered access to banking services.

    As at today, we have about 106 approved agents across the country and already, the services are available at Sabongida-Ora (Evbiobe)-Edo State,  Sabon Gari (Kano), Mirinjibi (Kaduna), Barnawa (Kaduna), Yaba (Lagos) and Ikoyi (Lagos)”.

    It’s simply convenient, affordable and several NIPOST locations nationwide have been earmarked to feature actively in this initiative. Nigerians now have the opportunity to take full advantage of this partnership to enjoy the bouquet of financial services across the country.

  • FG Inaugurates NITDA, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT Boards

    FG Inaugurates NITDA, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT Boards

    The Federal Government Wednesday inaugurated the Management Boards of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, and the Nigerian Communications Satellite, NIGCOMSAT.

    The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu who inaugurated the 36 member board of the agencies at Obasanjo Hall, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, urged them to justify the confidence repose in them by the Buhari administration by turning around the fortunes of the agencies for the better.

    Shittu said the performances of the agencies are critical to the committment of the present administration to move the economy from oil and gas paradigm to the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

    Government efforts, he said, have started yielding results as more than 10 percent of the nation’s GDP comes from the sector.

    Said the Minister: “The ICT sector is one of the key pillars of the Nigerian economy contributing more than 10% of the GDP. The sector has great potentials for contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic recovery and Growth through economic diversification, creating opportunities for social inclusion, job creation and youth empowerment, improving human capital and facilitating economic competitiveness.

    “It has been suggested that the Devices, Software Solution and e-Commerce sector alone could employ well over 45 million Nigerians and rake in significant revenue.

    “The major challenges to the sector have been lack of an integrated framework for coordinated development, inadequate infrastructure leading to low access of Nigerians to the benefits of ICT, poor local content in the ICT industry, inadequate investments in the sector and low Capacity including lack of globally competitive skills.”

    According to the Minister, the agencies would be restructured in line with the vision of the present administration to enable them maximize their goals, pointing out that government would ensure that the enabling laws backing their operations are also fine-tuned and updated.

    Shittu said government is currently embarking on the upgrading of ICT infrastructures to ensure that they are capable meeting the challenges of modern economy.

    The Minister said: “Increased ICT infrastructure will also help to solidify national security, strengthen sovereignty and promote good governance.  We are well on our way there with the kind of infrastructural investments that we envisage including regional fibre –optic links and metro rings.

    “Recently, the Federal Executive Council approved the implementation of the National ICT Infrastructure Backbone II project.

    “Considering the large youth population in Nigeria, one of the most critical success factors for ICT sector development is the issue of skills development. However, Skills issues remain a major constraint to employment of Nigerians in the sector.

    “Employers in the sector are increasingly finding it difficult to source for emerging 3rd platform technologies such as cloud, mobility, security and big data/Analytics which is where the world is going now.

    “Considering the large youth population in the country, we will work with the Ministry of Education to integrate ICT effectively into education curricular through the use of ICT to facilitate education using smart devices, e-Content as well as increase the uptake of ICT as a subject”.

    Read Also: NITDA, NCC partner to grow GDP

  • Fed Govt approves partial commercialisation of NIPOST

    The Federal Government has approved the partial commercialisation of Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST).

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu disclosed this while inaugurating the Steering Committee (ST) and the Project Delivery Team (PTD) for the Postal Sector Reforms and the Restructuring /Modernisation of NIPOST.

    He said that the partial commercialisation of NIPOST was in line with the Second Schedule Part 1 Section 6 of the Public Enterprises Privatisation and Commercialisation Act 1999.

    He, however, said that some of its services would still reflect polices and economic intervention from government.

    “I am aware that the National Assembly was about to pass a bill on the Nigerian Postal Commission, which set out to establish a regulator for the nation’s postal sector.

    “In this regard, government wishes to separate what hitherto had been the dual function of NIPOST as a regulator and operator at the same.

  • Why NIPOST is not viable, by Post Master

    Postal services have been hampered by absence of competitive goods and products for end-users, Postmaster General Nigerian Postal Services, Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi, has stated.

    He said postal services lack viability and profitability because it deals only with mono-product.

    Adegbuyi spoke at the Ibadan Zonal Strategy retreat on the implementation of the NIPOST Vision 2020 strategic plan at the weekend.

    The retreat had in attendance, top management staff of the postal agency in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo.

    He lamented that postal service has focused on mails alone at a time Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has taken over.

    Speaking through the Director, Commercial Business Unit (mails), Mallam Yahaya Wambai, Adegbuyi assured Nigerians will see a new improved postal service before the end of the year.

    He pointed out the agency is partnering with relevant bodies to enhance its efficiency in the areas of technological use, logistics and service delivery.

    According to him: “By the grace of God between now and December ending, Nigerians will see a lot of improvement in the services of the Nigerian Postal Service.

    “Post Office is still very relevant because in the era of e-commerce where people order things online, definitely they required somebody to bring the items to their houses.

    “We have a lot of people who are buying things online worldwide and most of these shops even prefer to send their items through the post office, so Post office is still very relevant.

    “So, we see internet as complementing our job because you order things online and the postman who is an employee of the post office is supposed to bring it to your preferred location.”

  • NIPOST to commence banking services

    NIPOST to commence banking services

    The District Manager, Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Ilorin branch, Mr. Godwill Magulike, said on Friday the agency would soon introduce agency banking services in its operation.

    Magulike said in Ilorin that the agency’s banking services would enable Nigerians to send money across the country and beyond, thereby complimenting its courier services.

    He said NIPOST had earlier introduced other products aimed at reviving the postal system, serving the people better and increasing patronage.

    He listed the products as money order, electronic stamps and address verification, among others.

    “We have come to an era in NIPOST where we have to re-examine the activities of postal service in line with modern technologies.

    Magulike said: “We also try to showcase our new products in the market apart from our core posting responsibility.

    “For instance, with the introduction of agency banking, people can easily send money to their loved ones, across the country.

    “We target bringing out new potentials of the service to meet the present demands in the country.

    “This effort requires strong collaboration with the private sector whose investment capital and expertise are crucial.

    “We are indeed getting back on track as we are reinventing, embracing digitization, redefining our value proposition and developing new product services.”

    NAN