Presidency Owns NPB, Sponsors Executive Bill

After several years in limbo, President Goodluck Jonathan is weighing an executive option to expedite the passage of the Nigeria Postal Bill (NPB), a set of all important documents touted as transformative for the postal industry, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has learnt.

NPB has been embroiled in web of claims and counter charges since 2004 after stakeholders began moves to rejig the industry, but the bill might not be dead after all.

A source close to the presidency said that President Jonathan sees the postal sector as a major catalyst in the socio-economic and political emancipation of the country.

“What has happened is that the President has been persuaded to send the Nigeria Postal Bill as executive bill to the National Assembly and use his political weight to see to its passage” the source said.

According to the source, the bill when passed into law will establish the legal and regulatory framework, institutions and regulatory authorities for the Nigerian Postal industry and establish guidelines for the operation of players in the sector.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that the presidency move is coming on the heels of displeasure expressed by some industry players over the move by Nigeria Postal Service (Nipost) which acts as a regulator and operator in the industry to introduce new tariff regime.

Nipost however maintained that there were no ambiguity in the operation of Nipost and the courier service operators.

The draft national IT policy has also done little or nothing to recognize the important place of the postal industry.

Instead, the policy among others seeks: “to reflect convergence by de-emphasising the differences between the IT, broadcasting, telecommunications and postal sectors”

The policy remain mute on the much vexed issue of Nigerian Postal Service operating as both a regulatory agency and service provider.

Operators insisted that if the industry is properly situated, it could contribute as much as four (4) per cent to the national gross domestic product (GDP).

In the absence of reliable statistics, it is hard to estimate how much the industry currently contributes to the GDP.

At the end of 2010 the annual turnover of the industry was put at some N350 million.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that the absence of structure and new set of laws have all served to hobble the industry.

The industry is also plagued by myriad of problems ranging from activities of quacks; loss of mails; poor public perception; dearth of infrastructure; high operating costs; and operational inefficiency; among others.

The Nigeria Postal Bill was begun in 2005 but seven year running, spanners are still at work on the document.

Elsewhere, the draft ICT policy notes that Nigeria’s postal sector comprises of Nipost as the dominant operator and regulator of the industry.

Also, there are some 250 licensed private courier service operators in the country, in addition to a large number of courier grey market operators.

According to the draft ICT policy, the dual role of Nipost as a regulator and operator compromises its effectiveness as a regulator.

Rising in defense of Nipost, Mallam Mori Ibrahim Baba, postal master general of Nigeria, insisted that there were no ambiguity in the operation of Nipost and the courier service operators.

“Nipost is offering a national service, and that does not stop us from effectively regulating the industry. We do not stifle competition, only that we are working to clean the system of unregistered postal operators,” said Baba.