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Lack of Regulation Hobbling Courier Business-Uba

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Okey Uba is the managing director, Ebony Express
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Okey Uba is the managing director, Ebony Express, a fast growing courier outfit in Nigeria and secretary general of the Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (ANCO).
Uba who holds Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN); possesses simple and gentle personality.
He has attended several courses in courier management and has worked at the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) from where he resigned to establish Ebony Express.
He spoke to peter ugwu highlighting factors that have inhibited the development of the sector in Nigeria and other sundry issues.     *

 
Courier Sector 2013

The whole events centered on how to make the industry grow. There are certain challenges we have in the industry, viz-a-viz the issue of regulation.

Courier is a very wide industry; unfortunately, it is yet to be fully harnessed in Nigeria. And like I would always say: you really need an enabling environment that will guarantee return on investment (ROI), proper operations and the likes, before you can tap into the industry.

The operators cannot make headway in an incoherent environment. For the indigenous (courier) companies, licencing and renewal fees pose very big challenge, because they are on the high side in comparism to other sectors.

Expectations from the Regulatory Bill

I think it boils down to the general view of the Government. It is not as if the operators do not crave for a Regulator or, as if the industry operates without a regulatory department (as in the CRD capacity), but the truth is that you cannot give someone some pieces of meat and deny him the teeth to chew them or the necessary “weapons” to fight the war against irregularities in the sector.

When you do that it appears like the person does not know what he is doing. Meanwhile, the officials at the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of NIPOST are worth their onus, but they lack the equipment to work, which starts with the provision of enabling laws.

As a matter of fact, it is portraying them as toothless bulldogs. It also affects courier operators, particularly the indigenous companies.

They are the most affected, because the international operators can source their inbounds from abroad, while the domestic operators are left with nothing.

Most times, when you want to play the game according to the rules, you are shortchanged. When you are in an environment where some operators do not give a damn over what the rules say, definitely, you will be shortchanged.

Having gone to school, garnered reputations and experience, there are some practices you wouldn’t ordinarily get involved in order to survive in a business. It makes the sincere ones to suffer unnecessarily.

However, whenever the Government is ready to legislate on this, they should not just start comparing the courier with the telecoms. In logistics or courier industry, the most important ingredients are integrity and honesty. Is not the matter of capital capacity; it plays a secondary role in that part. In logistics, you are carrying valuables on behalf of the customers or consignees from a place to the destination and that is on trust.

It behooves on the Regulatory body to determine who is or should be in this business; those who will not view it as a ground to engage in fraudulent activities.

To make the job easier for the Government, probably, when the Commission is finally established, they tend to turn it to a political piece-cake, the technocrats who would have been relegated to the background. Those currently at CRD should be made to manage the affairs of the Commission; with full regulatory backing. Then, they can bit and mediate between the operators and the Government. As it is now, there is a limit to which they can operate.

 
How to Reinvigorate the Bill

Actually, you cannot shave a man in his absence. Meanwhile, I haven’t joined the industry as a player when the Bill was articulated.

So, I wouldn’t know how far they have gone. But, there are indications that the contents are not bad.

However, there are things that must be put into consideration before the passage of the Bill. For instance, classification of courier companies in Nigeria. We do not expect all firms to posses the same operational strength.

Therefore, you cannot put a flat-rate licencing and renewal fees for them. Like I said earlier, integrity and truth are paramount in the industry, thus, capital base should not be the benchmark.

In fact, I do not see what is holding the Bill from its passage, if not that in Nigeria you must path-away with something before someone does the necessary thing; if it implies bringing it back for us to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, then let them revert it back; it wouldn’t take us time to do.

Nevertheless, there must be the willingness on the part of the Ministry to assist the industry.

Today, everybody is into logistics and courier. If you are moving along the road trucks are tumbled with the goods in them; nobody is talking about goods damage insurance, compensation for the consignees or the consignor; so, many people who are into this business do not even understand what Goods In Transit Courier (GIT) Insurance means.

Most of them do not understand what time frame means. To me, that is not right. Things have to be done right; if you are interested in courier business you have to abide by the principles.

ANCO’s Contribution in Tacking the Challenges

Yes, the Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (ANCO) has been trying on its part to champion the course for the development of the industry.

We have our monthly forum where we try to educate and inundate our members on new grounds in courier; we educate them on international partnership; how to employ genuine and sincere staff; on courier management in general.

But, no matter how you try, without government support you will not have so significant achievements.

For instance, when someone has done something wrong, he is caught and charged to court, and there is no enabling law to prosecute the culprit, all you have done is in vein. We have been trying so hard to build up and educate our members; that has led to increase in our membership over the years.

But we need an unbiased umpire to move the sector forward. This will enable the smaller companies to survive. If they reach out to us in ANCO, we are willing to add our inputs to the whole matters. In fact, courier and telecom are not supposed to be in the same Ministry. That is what we are advocating for; proper regulations.

Call for Mergers

First, we have heard comments like the internet revolution is a threat to the courier sector. But if you put that into perspectives, you will discover that these are mere sayings. Nigeria, for example became internet compliance just about a decade ago.

The developed world, Germany, UK, US and others have been internet compliant all along.

Till today logistics and courier are moving forward, gaining more grounds and recognitions in those countries.

So, it is a fallacy to say that internet will strangulate the courier sector. Our problem is the lack of regulation.

Secondly, when people are shouting for mergers and acquisitions, you don’t just talk about that.

The reasons are that you do not force people to merge. They do that when they perceive the benefits of the partnership and can work cordially.

There have been cases of friends coming together to set up a courier firm, but in a short while it led to several companies, because the motives are different

Banks are not like the courier. People are obliged to do businesses with the bank, but in courier, even companies now set up their in-house dispatch department.

When you put the laws in place, naturally, there will be mergers and acquisitions. Then, there will be an arbitrator to mediate on your matter when you are shortchanged.


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Appeal Court Nullifies Registration of ‘KPMG Professional Services’

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The court of appeal in Lagos has asked the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to revoke the certificate of registration of “KPMG Professional Services”.

Appeal Court Nullifies Registration of ‘KPMG Professional Services'

In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the appellant court granted the reliefs sought by KPMG Nigeria against CAC and KPMG Professional Services.

The judgment was read by Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero, the judge.

The two other judges are Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and A.M. Talba.

In 2002, KPMG Professional Services was registered as a company with CAC despite the existence of KPMG Nigeria, comprising its audit, tax, and consulting arms.

The KPMG Nigeria has long been registered in Nigeria before 2002.

KPMG Audit was registered in 1969, KPMG Tax Consultants in 1990, and KPMG Consulting in 1969.

Displeased with the registration of KPMG Professional Services, KPMG Nigeria approached the federal high court.

The consulting firm had argued that the name “KPMG Professional Services” was deceptively similar to its long-established identity.

In 2005, the lower court dismissed KPMG Nigeria’s case, citing an alleged merger between KPMG Nigeria and Akintola Williams Deloitte as reason the company could no longer assert rights to the name.

The lower upheld the second respondent’s (KPMG Professional Services) counterclaim and ordered that KPMG Nigeria’s name be struck off the CAC register.

The lower court had premised its decision on newspaper articles stating that KPMG Nigeria reportedly merged with Akintola Williams Deloitte.

Delivering the judgment, Bayero ruled that the lower court erred by relying on newspaper articles to ascertain that KPMG Nigeria allegedly merged with another company.

The judge said the documents showing the alleged merger were not presented before the lower court, and the form of the alleged merger could not have been known.

“In any event, the only branch of KPMG, if any, that entered into a merger with Akintola Williams as stated in the newspaper articles 18, is KPMG Audit,” the judge ruled.

“The other spheres were totally unaffected. It would therefore be wrong to state that the merger (which has not been shown to this Court) of KPMG Audit with Akintola Williams means all the other areas of business, including KPMG Consulting and KPMG Tax Consultants, also ceased to exist.

“Even if the Appellants (KPMG Nigeria) had ceased to do business as the Court seemed to have held, the 2nd Respondents (KPMG Professional Services) should not have been carrying on business until the Appellant’s certificate of registration is withdrawn or set aside.

“They cannot use the name until the Appellant’s certification of registration is withdrawn or set aside. They cannot use the name until the name is removed from the 1st Respondent’s (CAC) Register of Names.

“The 1st Respondents can only assign the name to the 2nd Respondents after first taking it away from the Appellants.”

The court ruled that CAC erred by registering KPMG Professional Services despite the existence of a business name, which is already registered.

The judge reversed the earlier ruling of the lower court and reaffirmed the primacy of statutory protection for existing business names under Nigerian corporate law.

 

 

 


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Air Peace Launches Abuja–London Heathrow, Gatwick flights October 26

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Air Peace has announced the launch of direct flights from Abuja to London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with operations scheduled to begin on October 26, 2025.

The airline said in a statement on Sunday that round-trip fares for the Abuja–London service will start from N1m, making it the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct connections from the capital to both of London’s major international airports. This was contained in a press release issued on Sunday by the airline’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey.

“Direct international flight services from Abuja to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airports, effective October 26, 2025.

“Air Peace becomes the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct services from Abuja to both of London’s major international airports, further solidifying its role as a leader in regional and intercontinental aviation.

“Travellers originating from any of Air Peace’s domestic destinations across Nigeria can now book through fares via Abuja to either Heathrow or Gatwick using a single ticket, eliminating the need for multiple bookings or baggage re-checks,” the statement read.

Similarly, the new route opens convenient access for inbound passengers from the UK to cities across Nigeria.

“Travellers from London can access multiple destinations across Nigeria using a single Air Peace ticket through Abuja every morning. These destinations are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Kano, Yola, Gombe and Asaba, for now. Other destinations will be added later,” Osifo-Whiskey stated.

Air Peace is also offering what it describes as unprecedented value in pricing and service.

Osifo-Whiskey said, “It provides a distinct competitive advantage, enabling passengers to travel between Nigeria and the United Kingdom with greater ease, efficiency, and value, due to the possibility of choosing multiple cities entry and exit points.

“Has the cheapest fares ever, starting from only 1 Million Naira round trip. Huge baggage allowance.”

The Abuja–London launch comes months after the airline began Lagos–London Heathrow flights, which started earlier in 2024.


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Prateek Suri CEO Maser Meets Zambia’s Education Minister to Propel Student Housing and Education Projects

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Prateek Suri, CEO of MASER and recognized as the richest Indian entrepreneur in Africa, was welcomed this week by Zambia’s Education Minister, Hon. Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, for a high-level meeting in Lusaka that focused on student housing and broader education infrastructure initiatives.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of Education’s offices, opened with warm greetings and a presentation by Mr Suri detailing Maser’s plans to support Zambia’s rapidly scaling education sector. Suri, who led Maser to become Africa’s seventh unicorn, emphasized the company’s commitment to infrastructure that benefits students, educators, and communities across the continent.

Minister Syakalima underscored the urgency of addressing Zambia’s student accommodation gap, citing the country’s expanding net enrollment and the need for safe, affordable housing for tertiary students. Under his leadership, the Government has embarked on a bold infrastructure agenda: over 82 secondary schools already completed, 46 set to be finished in 2025, and 120 new institutions under construction, alongside 169 ECE hubs and 145 satellite centers to reach underserved areas.

During the meeting, Suri shared Maser’s vision for modern student housing built through public–private partnership models. He outlined a multi‑phase plan utilizing sustainable building design, digital infrastructure, and vocational training facilities integrated into these campuses. “Zambia’s youth deserve world-class learning environments,” Suri remarked. “Maser is prepared to leverage its experience to co-create impactful educational infrastructure.”

Minister Syakalima responded positively, stating, “We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Maser. The CEO’s entrepreneurial success and the company’s commitment to Africa’s education development are exactly the kind of partnership we need to scale our infrastructure goals.”

Beyond housing, the dialogue extended to opportunities in blended learning, vocational skills, rural outreach, and digital inclusion. With Zambia implementing its forward‑looking 2023 Education Curriculum this year—including early childhood, primary, and Form 1 levels—the minister highlighted the need for supporting infrastructure at all levels to enable effective rollout.

Under Minister Syakalima’s tenure, the education sector has seen notable progress: 4,200 new teachers hired recently, bringing the total teacher workforce to over 40,000 in three years; strengthened focus on foundational learning via teacher training programmes like the “Catch Up Programme”; and ambitious expansion of school infrastructure across Zambia’s provinces.

Maser, co‑founded by Prateek Suri, transformed from an African startup in consumer electeonics and large infrastructure projects into a multi‑sector unicorn operating in real estate, renewable energy, mining and education technology. Its rapid rise and African focus have made Suri a leading figure in bolstering India–Africa economic relations.

As the richest Indian in Africa, Prateek Suri’s influence spans beyond business success—it represents growing bilateral investment aimed at credible, sustainable societal impact. His partnership with Zambia’s Ministry of Education signals a new era of cross-border collaboration in education infrastructure.

With both parties committing to inclusive planning and scalable implementation, the Maser‑Zambia dialogue could mark the beginning of transformative initiatives: from affordable student housing to cutting‑edge learning facilities, vocational training hubs, and digital classrooms.

In closing remarks on the significance of this dialogue, Suri stated, “Education infrastructure is the foundation for future growth. Our partnership with Minister Syakalima and the Government of Zambia is a testament to collective investment in youth, equity, and sustainable development.” Minister Syakalima echoed this optimism, saying that with strategic public–private investment, Zambia’s education sector is poised for a significant elevation.

This meeting lays the groundwork for collaboration that bridges government strategy and corporate innovation—ultimately aiming to empower Zambia’s students and accelerate national development.


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