The Nigerian government has tasked African countries to embrace digital postal services and financial inclusion as panacea for rapid development.
The Post Master General of the Nigerian Postal Service NIPOST and second Vice Chairman, Pan African Postal Union (PAPU), Adebayo Adewusi stated this in Abuja at an inaugural meeting of the Operations and Technology Committee of the Union.
Adewusi said the meeting was important because ideas that will keep African Postal services on their toes will be discussed.
“The Operations and Technology committee of Pan African Postal Union PAPU is having its inaugural meeting in Nigeria. Nigeria is the chairman of the committee and we have the responsibility to look out for other African postal outlets to ensure that their postal services attain best global standards and acceptable practices,’’ he stated.
The Postal Master noted that issues bothering on how to better drive postal services and continue to break new grounds and remain relevant will be tackled.
Adewusi added that every member of the committee will go back to their respective countries with the resolutions of the meeting and impact it positively.
He added that the world is moving into the digital age making postal services become seamless globally, therefore the African postal sector cannot be left behind.
In an interview with Journalists, Assistant Secretary General of PAPU, Jessica Ssengooba from Uganda, said every sector is facing a digital disruption and the postal sector has to live up to its responsibilities.
She explained that the focus of the meeting was for member countries to come up with issues that are challenging the postal sector, propose solutions to be adopted and implemented.
Ssengooba stressed that the committee had the responsibility of following up with proposed solutions.
She also emphasised that digitalizing postal services is very important and we cannot do without it because it will help us to improve on our services and be up to date with globally acceptable standards.
“Digitalizing postal services is very important and we cannot do without it because it will help us to improve on our services and be up to date with globally acceptable standards and practices. Automating postal services is necessary, we would come up with new products diversification of services too is very much needed.
“The major challenge we have is global competition and we are involved in beneficial partnerships so that we can reach the last mile and ensure effective services,’’ Ssengooba stated.
