NIPOST debit card Agency Banking and logistics trucks .

Unbundling of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), has commenced in essence as one of the oldest institutions in the country launched deeper into the Agency Banking system with the introduction of its platform on Thursday, January 27, 2022.

Performing the unveiling in Abuja, Prof. Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, also introduced NIPOST Debit Card and Commissioned NIPOST/Speedaf trucks to enhance mail and cargo/e-commerce and logistics services across the nooks and crannies of the country.

In his speech on “The Role of Financial Services and Logistics in Postal Services in the 4IR’, said the NIPOST Debit Card remains the first of its kind in the history of postal service in the country. “It is a card embedded with unique features, such as the NIN or BVN, Biometrics, Address Verification and Geo fencing ete. It is designed to serve multiple purposes such as conditional cash transfer wallet, electronic money orders, e-Naira wallet, Micro Pension Agent wallet, Bank account, Bills payments etc.

“With the deployment of agency banking, NIPOST counters will handle more IFS transactions with more Universal Postal Union member countries, and also the payment services on REMITA. This increased capacity in financial services is not only a welcome boost in its corporate image, but also its income”

The Minister said it was gratifying to note that the brand new trucks (27 in number) also launched, were acquired through Public Private Partnership (PPP) between NIPOST and Speedad Nigeria Limited.

“There exists huge potential and excess capacity in the private courier ecosystem, which incidentally is under NIPOST regulation. Such private but excess asset and capacity could be collaboratively annexed to the service of Nigerians.

“There is no doubt, that these trucks will go a long way in assisting NIPOST in its drive towards efficient mail and cargo distribution and delivery

“It is worthy to note that NIPOST

Management despite some obvious constraints has been unrelenting in its efforts to improve both its operations and quality of services through internally generated

There, however, is still much work to be done especially in the area of service delivery.

“In the communications market, our efforts should be geared towards improving on the existing products and services and developing new ones aimed at meeting the demands of the customers. To achieve this, we must continue to incorporate new technologies into the Postal operations to reduce cost to the citizens and, at the same time improve on the service delivery and increase efficiency.

There is no doubt, that lechnology has revolutionized the Communications Industry and as a result offers a lot of challenges and opportunities to the Postal Sector.

Pantami also restated Government’s full support for the growth and development of the Postal Services in Nigeria adding that Postal Service is a key institution in every country today.

“It plays a significant role in promoting the development of technologies and technological outputs such as the NIPOST Debit card we are launching today and reduces the socio-political and economie isolation of our peoples. It eases business struggle and connects small and medium scale enterprises in urban and remote areas with their customers within and across national borders.

“Today, as we remain resolute to bring about unprecedented changes into the postal services. It is my hope that Nigerians, especially rural dwellers, would leverage on the opportunities presented by this to improve their socio-economic wellbeing”. the

Minister said. In another development, International Human Rights

Commission led by Ambassador at Lard, Dr. Friday Sani, Country Head for International Human Rights Commission paid a courtesy visit to the Office of The Hon. Minister on

January 27, 2022.

Highlights of the visit includes presentation of a Diplomatic Award to the Minister as Human Rights Most Friendly Minister in this dispensation. In a speech, Amb. Sani described Prof Isa Pantami as a man of honour with so much respect for human rights and no wonder his immediate approval for the visit of the International Human Rights Commission. Sani disclosed that what look like boko haram, kidnaping, banditry religious crisis. uprising and other

social vices in Nigeria are all born out of the embargo on employment by the then military government in 1990 without considering the Nigerian state each academic year, universities and polytechnics admit close to 2 million students and

produce about 600,000 graduates. This is why our 5 years investigation into what is responsible for violence enumerated above is simply traced to youth unemployment syndrome.

Dr. Sani further stated that the digital economy space under the purview of the Hon. Minister is capable of employing 10 million Nigerian youths yearly if properly implemented, saying he has no doubt in the strong character of the person of the Hon. Minister: He however requested the Hon. Minister to use the global platform of IHRC to educate youth and women to take advantage of the digital space.

Responding: the Hon. Minister thanked the leadership of THRC for an unbias investigation about Nigerian state particularly the report about President Mohammed Buhari He promised to work closely with 1HRC leadership to achieve a total eradication of unemployment in Nigeria using the digital space.

He also outlined different programmes of agencies under his Ministry which are all beared towards skill aquisition for young people.