Angst over Crowded Graveyard for Courier Firms

More and more companies in the courier and postal sector are ceasing operations following their inabilities to make profits or to bring in enough revenues to cover their expenses and operators under the aegis of Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (ANCO) is waxing worriedly.

In an embarrassing data released by the association, out of a total number of 374 licensed operators by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as at December 2014, only 80 are alive and well. Others are either on life support or are dying by instalments.

Mr. Siyanbola Oladapo, president of ANCO, fingered the absence of proper regulatory framework; multiple taxation; lack of understanding of the place of courier industry in the economy; as well as poor security situation of the country.

He demanded a reform of the industry insisting a situation where NIPOS is both an operator and umpire cannot move the sector forward.

“Instead of the Federal Government to create a neutral body to regulate the postal sector as it did for the telecoms, a department was carved out of NIPOST to regulate the private operators” he stated.

Oladapo also sent a ‘Save Our Soul’ (SoS) message to the President-Elect, to continue and complete the reform he started in the P&T 30 years ago.

Nodding in agreement,  Mr. Okey Uba, ANCO’s secretary general bemoaned the lukewarm attitude in the Government quarters towards the plight of the sector adding that a Postal Commission Bill was sent to the 6th and 7th national Assembly for debate and passage through the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), but none could scale through.

Also commenting,  Mrs Lara Okuneye, vice president (ANCO), said that from the political point of view, the in-coming administration should not ditch the achievements recorded by the outgoing government rather push for the passage of the Bill.

According to her, this is an industry that all involved will benefit, with immediate impacts like job creation, and contribution to the gross domestic products (GDP).