Pantami: FG will unbundle NIPOST into courier services, microfinance bank

Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, says the federal government will soon unveil policies to unbundle the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).

In June 2021, the senate passed the NIPOST repeal and re-enactment bill 2021, that had restricted the agency to only postal operations in the country.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of NIPOST’s N50 revenue stamp, the minister described the corporation as one of the most important institutions of government.

Pantami noted that policies that would transform NIPOST’s operations and make it innovative would soon be unveiled.

“We have so many policies of transforming NIPOST in the pipeline and part of it will unbundle NIPOST. We also have the ACT of NIPOST going into amendment,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“We have a plan with a property and development company, the company will bring together all the properties of NIPOST, develop them and make sure that the government generates revenue from them.

“All generated revenue will go into developing sectors like health, education, agriculture, security and other social developments.”

He listed other aspects of NIPOST unbundling which would take place before the end of the year to include NIPOST transport and logistics, courier services and microfinance bank.

Pantami expressed optimism that NIPOST would become a world class outfit.

He further praised stakeholders for their unrelenting efforts in remodeling and the recent record of modest achievements.

In his remarks, Ismail Adewusi, postmaster general and chief executive officer of NIPOST, said that over the years, Nigeria’s history had been documented through stamps.

“Through stamps, NIPOST has documented Nigeria’s history, educating and preserving our national heritage among others,” he explained.

“Stamps have served as objects of visual communication and dependable recorder of events for prosperity.”

He urged members of the public to use the new revenue stamps for the authentication and validation of documents and denotation of fees.

“ We have about 25 million copies of the stamp unveiled today for sale at the rate of N50 each and it is available for sale in all our postal outfits nationwide,” Adewusi added.

“We are hopeful it will be sold out in the next two weeks and then we commence reproduction.”