NIPOST Braces Up Against Internet Challenge, Automates Service Delivery Systems

Following the explosion of the information superhighway, especially the growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) has automated over 80 percent of its offices so as to stay afloat in its services to Nigerians.

The Asaba Area Manager of NIPOST, Mr. Babatunde Ajayi, said in an exclusive interview with our correspondent at the weekend.

The automation, according to Ajayi, is in line with global best practice, as well as keeping abreast with the contemporary positive challenge occasioned by the advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

He said the automation also enables customers as well as NIPOST officials to monitor the movement of any particular item at the click of a button, even at the comfort of their homes and offices.

Ajayi said following the automation, a number of online postal activities are currently going on at the posts, particularly the post cash segment where an individual could send money via the post office to any part of the country and some parts of African countries which are usually delivered within 15 minutes.

He maintained that contrary to insinuations and public fears that the advent of ICT would impact negatively on the operations of the sector, it is rather complementing it as the sector, according to him, has been operating optimally in terms of service delivery, product diversification as well as improvements on already existing products.

Also, following the ongoing reformation in the sector, Ajayi said plans are in top gear to ensure that every post office in every state and local government area in Nigeria becomes a sub shop centre where individuals could do all forms of business transactions.

His words, “There has been some wrong notions among the Nigerian public that the advent of Information Technology will impact negatively on the activities at the various post offices in the country. To God be the glory, the top Management of this organisation has been so proactive to the extent that with the advent of ICT, they came up with so many products that are relevant to today’s activity.

“The only thing that has reduced in the second are interpersonal letters. Other activities such as business letters, share certificate, dividend warrants,  statements of accounts, all these are still coming to the post.

“I can tell you that today we are talking about E-commerce, when you make such purchases online,  they are not delivered to you online, rather, such purchases are brought to the post offices for delivery.  That, to a large extent, has increased the volume of international parcels that the post office has been handling over the years.

“Post cash for instance is an internet generated product whereby, because of our spread, somebody could go to any post office and send money to any part of the country including some African countries.  All that is required by such an individual is a code and the telephone number of the recipient of that money; that money, I can assure you, will be delivered to the recipient within15 minutes. That is part of the ways ICT has been helping us in our business in this sector” Ajayi said.