As the federal government works to reposition the nations’ postal and courier services system, it has created a sterling committee to lay the foundation for the change needed.
The sterling committee is led by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications, Mr Sonny Echono. The FG has also sent a bill to the National Assembly seeking amendment of Postal Services Law. — culled from Channels Tv.
Well, anyone is tempted to walk away from this proclamation, as most of the younger generations grew up without knowing the efficacy of postal services in Nigeria, except they have a loved one overseas. Even those who do complain about the ineffective mode of delivery.
Nigerian Post Office came on board with the provision of Nigerian Postal Service Act. This is an act created on 1 July 1992, which is an act to provide Nigerian Postal Service and for matters connected therewith.
In speaking for this generation, I only knew about the existence of Postal services after watching a long forgotten American movie. Please who writes letters these days?
The Internet and the digital revolution are basically altering the worlds of communications and commerce. Nigerian Postal services need to modernize its role to accommodate the digital age. Many are attracted to the digital world that offers faster service, greater convenience and lesser cost.
The committee needs to understand the herculean task that lays ahead of them. They need to develop products and services that would attract the digital generation to them. There lies a growing mandate to bind the nation together by creating an avenue that would accommodate people who are increasingly communicating digitally. They need to be aware that the service needs a foundation that would link the postal service’s physical address to an electronic mail box for every citizen and business.
The Postal Service can construct a digital platform that would facilitate communications and commerce for postal, governmental and commercial applications that are available to all. One major concern is the problem of the absence of centralized database for the nation’s citizens, however, this should be settled with the mandatory Identification registration.
Parents who had beforehand decided to ignore the growing trend have hereto, had to relearn the act of communicating, this time digitally.
Businesses in Nigeria have made a shift from traditionally buying and selling to e-commerce. It is hardly surprising that electronic forms of communication are fast replacing verbal and even hard copy communication among consumers and business owners. There is e-trading, online banking, online shopping available for consumer’s choice.
From the personal to the corporate world, the Internet has changed our ability to send messages, share knowledge, and conduct transactions more quickly and economically than ever before. This communication shift is having an impact on individuals, businesses, and governments. Forcing them to adapt to this new world and adjust quickly.
These and much more are ways to incorporate the postal service into the digital world else it would just be another relic from the past. While the restructuring is a step in the right direction, one can only pray they get it right and not have to sell out such huge investment to subsidiaries.
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This article was first published on 16th August 2017
adepeju
Adepeju Adenuga is a writer (considering where you are reading this, makes perfect sense). She holds a Masters Degree in Literature in English from the University of Lagos.
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