When was the last time you visited a post office to transact business? When was the last time you posted a  letter or purchased a postal stamp?  What have taken the places of postal services in your business, career or personal life?

NIPOST: An agency in search of relevance

Would you rather move your packages from one destinationto another through NIPOST or a private courier company? How do you transfer money locally and internationally? Answering the above questions would help you appreciate the impact of the internet, e-money transfers and the social media in today’s Nigeria as it affects postal services. We now operate e-money transfers and local money transfers  and globally, there is  Western Union that tranfers money in minutes.

Before the advent of internet and Glo
bal System of Mobile Communications in Nigeria, communication  businesses in the country were mainly transacted  through  postal services, operated by  government. Before 1985, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), was known as Postal and Telecommunication (P&T) which comprised of both Postal and Telecom Operators of the Federal Government of Nigeria. It was the separation of the Postal from Telecom that gave birth to NIPOST and NITEL respectively.

In 1987, the government  divided the Postal and Telecommunications(P&T) into two:  the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited ,(NITEL) and Nigerian Postal Services, NIPOST , with Mallam Ibrahim Mori Baba  as Post Master General and Chief Executive Officer. NIPOST was offering services like First Class mail and Domestic Mail amongst others. It had more than 20,000 employees and runs more than 5,000 post offices. The Nigerian Postal Service also runs businesses like EMS, Bulk Post Venture, NIPOST Central Workshop, Philatelic Services, Courier Regulatory Services, Parcel Post Venture and Nipost PostCash.

With its formal inauguration in 1987, the Nigerian Postal Service  declared a vision and mission of becoming  a world-class postal service provider and a mission to provide quality postal services that would satisfy the aspirations of all stakeholders.

It became the national carrier of all classes of mail items for delivery both within and outside Nigeria. Mail items, which include letters, postcards, printed papers, parcels and aerogrammes were processed through the post office.

Post Office boxes are installed in all post offices and sub-post offices across the country, and are available for rent on completion of relevant forms and office formalities. The use of post office box guarantees customers’ security, privacy and convenience of collecting their mails.

There is the Private Mail Bag service which is available on application to the Postmaster in-charge of any post office. It is particularly suitable for customers who receive large quantity of mail (daily) and are prepared to accept delivery/collection usually at least once daily. Correspondences for private mailbag users are also available for delivery/collection earlier than those for delivery by postmen.

Special Delivery Service was also introduced for corporate organisations that have ‘PMB’ and generate large volume of mail. On agreed frequency, NIPOST collects client’s mail for their private mailbags and delivers to their offices for an agreed fee.

Furthermore, there is also ‘post restante’ for individuals travelling out of their base, who expect important letters. Interested customers could call for such letters by applying for “Post Restante” or “To be called for”. There must also be proof of identity to ensure that delivery is made to the proper person; the applicant should be able to state from what place or district he expects the mail. If he decides to send for his mail, the messenger, besides being furnished with the above information must have a written authority to collect such letters.

NIPOST further offers street delivery which entails mail delivery by postmen on house to house basis. The effectiveness of this service depends, to a large extent, on how well a street is named and numbered. Where there is no house to house delivery and individuals are unable to procure a private box or private mail bag, addressees may claim their correspondence at the post office or postal agency during normal office hours.

However, with the advent of internet and  the accompanying social  networks like Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, e-transactions and the Global System of Mobile Communications, GSM, postal services are dying gradually. In place of letters, people connect with each other via telephone calls, text messages, e-mails, twitter, facebook and other social media networks. News breaks spread across the world in seconds through the social media networks and less people bother with post office services. Recently, the federal government announced the postal sector reform process which will culminate in the setting up of an independent regulator for the industry but towards the end of last year, the proposed reform was reportedly embroiled in a web of confusion with some vested interests bent on thwarting the reform.

The multinational courier firms and some top management of Nigerian Postal Service officers  were allegedly working to frustrate the reform. There is fear it would not be business as usual if a strong regulatory commission takes over while some top officers of  NIPOST allegedly  fret over erosion of influence and positions of authority.

Reportedly, most industry stakeholders cannot categorically tell the content and location of  all important documents that will breathe fresh life into the sector.

Most  of these human elements  enjoy the present regulatory-player status of NIPOST, because of the kick backs they receive.

Today, the establishment is faced with a situation where Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication  Technology  would say one thing at one forum and Mallam Ibrahim Mori-Baba, the Postmaster-General of the Federation,  would say another at a different forum. The Minister of Communication Technology said that the Ministry is currently working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to make Nigerian Postal Service a super agent for mobile money.  The Minister said  that though NIPOST is declining in the area of postal service, the Ministry has engaged the CBN to see how NIPOST would key into the CBN’s financial inclusion strategy by using NIPOST assets across the length and breadth of the country to offer services to people irrespective of  location.

She was also reported to have noted that one of the constraints NIPOST has is that it is both a regulator and an operator, which she said would be addressed with the new ICT bill before the National Assembly.

But how effective  is NIPOST in the advent of the internet and Global System of Mobile Communications? Saturday Vanguard in this edition tries to find out.