NIPOST outlets to offer banking services, Int’l passport issuance from May this year—Minister
Though efforts to get official confirmation from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday proved abortive, the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu has claimed that all is set for all the 1,500 Nigeria Postal Service outlets across the country to offer banking service from May 1, 2017.
Another service the nearly moribund agency will equally offer include processing and issuance of international passport. It was not however clear if there has been any kind of understanding between the Ministry of Interior and its Communications counterpart on the passport deal.
Before now, Shittu had been running from pillar to post seeking to work out a revival strategy that will return NIPOST to relevance considering the degrading of postal services following the GSM revolution and expansion of courier and logistics service sector.
Shittu revealed in an interview that “all Post Offices in the country will also be equipped with ICT facilities to offer e-Government services such as issuance of International Passport,” noting that “What we want to do with Nigeria Postal Service outlets is to reform them so that banking services and other electronic services can be offered”.
Business Hilights recalls that NIPOST has network of outlets in all local governments in Nigeria and even from the former administration, the federal government had been trying to create a scenario of relevance for the sub sector but without the needed political will.
It was not yet clear if the emerging arrangement will fly considering the silence of the Minister on issues bordering on capital base as required by the Act establishing banking and allied institutions.
Besides, Shittu failed to explain whether the expenses to be made for the transition were covered in the 2017 budget as checks at some Lagos NIPOST outlets failed to indicate any form of preparation for the transition. Many staff who spoke with Business Hilights correspondent said they are yet to be briefed on such matter.
One of the senior staff at Apapa Post office told our correspondent that “As you can see, there is nothing to show that we are about to begin banking services and if there is, I think am among those that will know first here.
“Yes, NIPOST needs a kind of revival to remain relevant in modern world, but it should be handled inclusively and not exclusively as the Minister is following the whole thing. We have been hearing about that long before now, but we have not been duly addressed or facilitated with the necessary infrastructure,” the NIPOST staff averred.
