NIPOST Revokes 10 Licenses, Shuts Down 4 Illegal Operators

Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) through its Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) has revoked licences of 10 courier operators including Imo Transport Company Limited and Kwara (State) Express, for non-renewal of their licences.

The ten companies that lost their licences include: Associated Bus Company (ABC); Arrowhead Courier Limited; Evergreen Worldwide; Imo Transport Company Limited; MDS Logistics Limited; MIGFO Express Courier Limited; Montesine Limited; NACFA Express Limited; Quadral Express Limited and Tide Express Link Limited.

Also Royal Ryders Express; Success Transport; Kwara Express, all located in Kwara State and Kasmag Express of Kasmag Transport located at Ijora Lagos State where shutdown for illegal operations.

With the latest development, the number of registered courier operators in Nigeria has downsized to 283, according to NIPOST.

Speaking to journalists at NIPOST headquarters (annex) in Lagos, Dr. Simon Emeje, senior assistant post-master general of NIPOST and head of CRD said that the ten courier operators’ licences were revoked after they have been severally notified to renew their licences.

According to him, NIPOST in its magnanimity waited for four years before embarking on the exercise.

Emeje explained that customers who still do business after the revocation order, stands a big risk, as the operators could be visited at any time by the CRD surveillance team, who will confiscate all items found in their offices, and proceed to prosecute the operators, if found operating behind sealed doors.

He said, “We are mandated to play a level playing ground for all operators which we have been pursing without fear or favour. The ten courier operators have been warned severally, in fact, in the last four years, to come and renew their licence. We deem it unethical and unhealthy for the general public to continue to patronize them, because they have lost in touch with realities in the industry.

“For you to continue rendering courier services, you have to obtain a licence, renew the licence every year. That allows NIPOST to continue to monitor your operations and ensure you do not lose touch with the operational guidelines in the industry.

He described “as dangerous to the society” of continued operations of the operators who are not properly monitored as they could engage on illicit acts such as smuggling of banned and hazardous products.

According to him, the Federal Government lost close to N6million in revenue in the last four years that the companies refused to renew their licences.

Emeje said that CRD with its limited resources and facilities have continued to expand its surveillance to ensure that no operator whose licence has been revoked continues to render services to the public.

On the other four operators whose offices where shutdown, the Head of CRD, said that CRD will ensure they remain shut until the owners regularize their operations by registering with NIPOST.

According to NIPOST, renewal of licence fee is once yearly and it costs N350, 000 to renew licences of indigenous local courier operators, N500, 000 for indigenous/international courier operators and N1.5 million for foreign international courier operators.

Obtaining licence for international courier business costs N10 million; same amount goes for Indigenous international. Domestic players obtain licences for N2 million.

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