News: NIPOST's Reform to Generate Thousands of Jobs

Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has said a reform, which the Federal Government will introduce in  the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), will generate thousands of jobs.

Shittu, who said this while addressing reporters at the weekend, hinted that his ministry has formulated a vision for the new NIPOST that would be best for the 21st Century Nigeria.

He explained that he had submitted the proposal on the reform to President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the proposal has also been sent to the Attorney General of the Federation for advice.

The minister said: “The reform that we are looking at may involve legislative intervention by way of amending the necessary laws. I submitted these proposals for reform of NIPOST and expansion of mandate of NIPOST to Mr. President, who has asked the Attorney General to look at it and see whether there is need for legislative intervention.

“If the Attorney General decides there should be legislative intervention, then we have to wait for amendment of postal services bill to be enacted. If, however, he feels we can go ahead as I feel, that given the present law as it is, we can go ahead with the expansion of the mandate by going into about five or six new businesses, which when put in place, will reduce the present services of NIPOST to 10 per cent of what it should really be doing.

“Then, we will go ahead. Until we get presidential go-ahead, it is a waiting game. I hope that before the end of this year, we will be able to implement this vision of the new NIPOST that we are looking at.

“I am happy and proud to say that if we succeed in implementing them, the issue of unemployment in the Nigerian system will drastically reduce because hundreds of thousands of new jobs will be created in the various new services that we are looking at.

“It will translate to a lot of incomes for the government and individuals. But we have to wait till we have the straightening of the law, which will enable us to implement the new roadmap of NIPOST that has been formulated.”

Shittu stated that the ministry planned to establish NIPOST banks in 1,500 postal agencies across the country, NIPOST insurance, NIPOST transports and logistics services, NIPOST property and development company, NIPOST e-commerce, NIPOST e-government services and internal services.

“We want to engage in NIPOST E-Commerce. E-Commerce has come to stay not only throughout the world, also in Nigeria. If I live in Saki and I want to buy something in Lagos. Instead of travelling from Saki to Lagos, why can’t I buy online and get NIPOST to bring the goods to me, and I pay NIPOST.

“Again, NIPOST E – Government Services are another good part that we are looking at. It is the system whereby government services are provided online. For instance, you want to renew your passport, driving licence or you want to do some things with government that require papers, instead of you having to come to the city centre, where passport office and licence office are, you should be able to do that through NIPOST.

“We will have internal services at the same time all over NIPOST locations. So, the employment opportunities will really be exponential,” the minister said.

Source: The Nation