Drivers’ licence: NIPOST opens talks with FRSC over adoption of digital addressing system

The Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) says it has discussions with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) over the adoption of digital addressing system as a condition for the issuance of drivers’ licences in the country.

The NIPOST digital addressing platform seeks to authenticate all addresses provided by Nigerians and give more credibility to documents issued by the government to its citizens and other residents such as the driver’s license, vehicle registration, national identification number (NIN), national passport, voter’s card, among others.

The two agencies opened talks during a courtesy call by Ismail Adewusi, postmaster-general and chief executive officer of NIPOST) on Boboye Oyeyemi, FRSC corps marshal, in Abuja.

Adewusi said NIPOST digital addressing platform is capable of tracking fake addresses.

“NIPOST, as one of the oldest agencies in the country, is developing different technological tools to remain a formidable agency of government,” Adewusi said.

“Many people put wrong or untraceable addresses when those are requested for services. The platform would address such practices by digitizing addresses and ensuring information provided are genuine.”

He further requested that FRSC allow NIPOST to handle the delivery of all driver’s licenses in the country on its behalf.

According to him, NIPOST now has the capacity to deliver postal items within 48 hours.

In his response, Boboye Oyeyemi, FRSC corps marshal, commended the postmaster-general on NIPOST’s innovative and improved services.

He said information gathered concerning the agency showed that the agency delivered on its mandates and satisfied its clients.

Oyeyemi assured the Adewusi of effective collaboration, adding that in the nearest future, holders of driver’s licenses who change addresses would be required to update them by providing a verified digital address before being issued a new license.

“The Corps would very soon begin to demand National Identity Number (NIN) for vehicle registration and driver’s licences. With the adoption of this initiative, the FRSC’s works would be more seamless if it could get a verified address of the applicants,” Oyeyemi said.

“If applicants don’t provide verifiable addresses, such applications may not be granted. This is something that everybody will embrace,” he said.

He added that the FRSC needed verified addresses to apprehend traffic offenders, for vehicle registration and driver’s license issuance.

Explaining the FRSC’s digitization drive, Oyeyemi said the agency had deployed body cameras in some parts of the nation to curb incessant assaults on their personnel on patrol.

He expressed optimism that by the end of the year, the agency would have taken the devices across the whole country.

He advised NIPOST management to embrace the use of the devices to enhance the services in the area of tracking their fleet and security of mails.