Data economy is a digital ecosystem in which data is gathered, organised, and exchanged by a network of companies, individuals, and institutions to create economic value. From this, it is obvious data is the driver of world economies, but we must understand the link between data and cost effective transportation network, to better appreciate the importance of postal services around the globe, NIPOST inclusive.
When this writer read the post made by Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, on the X platform, where he asked Nigerians for their thoughts on what they believe an ideal NIPOST should look like, I was surprised that a minister in Nigeria can take interest in NIPOST, regarded by those in government as a “dead” agency. On inquiry about, the man, Bosun Tijani, I was told he is the CEO of CcHub, a tech giant in Nigeria. I was further told he was recommended for appointment by a leading personality in tech industry in the world. What convinced me about the reason for Tijani’s appointment is the fact that he was vehemently against APC government before now. So, what made APC government give someone who did not see anything good in them an appointment? The answer probably lies in his background. Bosun is not a pushover in tech industry; he is in the league of giants like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gate and others..
Tijani believes, like Bezos, that without the postal establishment, tech industry is almost useless, as far as digital economy is concerned. This can be seen in Bezos’s view on US Postal Service: “Amazon would not be the $995 billion company it is today without the US Postal Service. “The postal dervice gave Amazon a huge helping hand from the outset, as the online retailer did not have to invest in a delivery network. I didn’t have to build a transportation network to deliver the packages, it existed: it was called the Post Office” (an interview with the CBS on July 16, 2019). Bezos, the third richest in the world, has $139 billion net worth as of May 2023. Bezos is the founder and former chief executive officer of Amazon. He remains the executive chair of the company.
A critical look at Tijani’s tweet on NIPOST reveals alignment with Bezos on the importance and relevance of the postal service to commercial digital platform, Amazon and, by extension, US economy: “NIPOST with over 1,180 post office outlets and 3000 agencies should be playing critical roles in the country’s digital economy. As we innovate towards a stronger digital economy, the role of NIPOST cannot be underestimated. Please share some of your hopes for the ideal NIPOST in the comments.”
It is clear that Tijani and Bezos are on the same wavelength on the critical role postal establishments play in tech industry. It thus appears that the Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy now has a minister who knows the importance of NIPOST and its crucial role to digital economy agenda of the federal government. The real issue here is how Nigerians with ideas on how NIPOST could be repositioned, share it effectively. Yes, through comments on Twitter, one can share hope for the ideal NIPOST, but Twitter may not be best avenue to harvest ideas on re-positioning NIPOST for profitability and job creation. The minister and his team may think of other avenues to reach out to Nigerians with direct and indirect action plan on how best to reform NIPOST.
Good enough, Dr Tijani being a tech expert will find it easy to convince President Bola Tinubu on the need to take NIPOST seriously, if government wants ICT (data) to truly drive the economy to prosperity. Before now, the greatest obstacle to NIPOST repositioning was the “negative mindset” of federal government towards the agency. US postal service is one of the highest employers of labour in America. The minister can reform NIPOST, using US postal service template. NIPOST must not be a competitor, as well as a regulator because it will make the agency a lazy establishment.
Apart from government’s negative mindset towards NIPOST in the past, another problem the agency is grappling with is the “civil service attitude” of its workers. NIPOST is the only federal government’s agency that is directly involved in selling of commodity, transportation and services; other agencies are only involved in service provision. So, the task before Tijani here is re-orientation of NIPOST workers to purge them of “civil service mentality”. This will allow them to know that they are workers with a difference.
However, for NIPOST to bounce back to reckoning, conscious and deliberate efforts must be made to drive traffic (people’s attention) to the agency. It is my considered opinion that if government takes calculated steps through policies, to make Nigerians patronise NIPOST, just like governments in other climes encourage her citizens to patronise their respective postal services, revenue and massive employment will be generated. The following steps can help in breathing life back to the agency:
- The minister may direct the PMG to seek collaboration with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, to distribute scientifically improved seedlings to rural farmers across Nigeria through about 3,500 functional NIPOST outlets in the country. This will lead millions of farmers in the rural areas into trooping to the agency’s outlets in their various localities to get the seedlings. We believe that the fortune of rural farmers will greatly improve as a result of improved yields.
While the collaboration will favour the rural poor, NIPOST, through the sale of stamp, will generate revenue for government and money will be available for renovating and repositioning the agency, to offer even better services to Nigerians. For instance, if more than 50 million peasant farmers across Nigeria open account with NIPOST owned microfinance banks across the nation, for the purpose of getting the improved seedlings from IITA, NIPOST will benefit. Alternatively, forms may be designed farmers wishing to get improved seedlings. The form may have provision where N50 stamp will be affixed.
If the collaboration pulls through, NIPOST may even introduce selling or marketing points in each postal outlet in the rural and semi urban centers, where sellers and buyers can meet. Towards sellers, buyers meeting, NIPOST can also develop app for sellers of different commodities, so that they can be tracked by buyers. This method of app designing is expected to keep the middle men away from the sellers, to avoid exploitation of sellers by middlemen through buying cheaply, and then resell at cut throat prices.
- Since NIPOST microfinance bank will now be in their facilities across Nigeria, the minister, through the PMG, may seek monopolistic status for sales of examination forms over federal government owned examination bodies, like JAMB, NECO and other higher institutions. To this end, the PMG may be directed to open talks with Attorney General and Minister of Justice (AGF) and the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) for consequential directive.
- Consequential directive may also be required from SGF to the effect that in any federal government employment advertisement, interested applicants must in addition to online application, send hand written application by NIPOST in their localities, with a caveat that applicant that also sent application through post office in their LGA, stands a chance of getting employment. This will mean that both soft and hard copies of applicant’s files are maintained by FG. It will also give employers idea about the real intellectual capacities of applicants. NIPOST, on the other hand, would have generated funds through stamp sale, attract revenue to federal government. This method of application for employment will awaken the consciousness of Nigerians on the importance of the NIPOST.
- The ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy can make NIPOST the sole supplier of furniture to federal ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs. A directive from government in this regard will greatly enhance the revenue profile of the agency and provide employment. If American President Joe Biden could issue Executive Order on January 25, 2021, to leverage the purchasing power of the U.S. government, the world’s biggest single buyer of goods and services, to strengthen domestic manufacturing and create markets for new technologies; President Tinubu can do same in Nigeria with respect to buy “NIPOST furniture”. And if America is talking about $600 billion in goods and services the federal government buys each year, Nigeria should also be talking about N10 billion which MDAs spent on furniture yearly. The Executive Order, just like in US, should make any waivers more transparent and create a senior adviser office in Aso Villa to oversee the process.
The itemised steps, if strategically pursued, will go a long way in improving the fortune of NIPOST, making the agency an ideal one the minister is yearning for.
Oraetoka, advocate, postal reform initiative, writes from Abuja via [email protected], 08056031187 09039094636
