Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Courier services potential in Nigeria not fully tapped-Uba


The Managing Director, Ebony Express, Mr Okey Uba has said that the  Nigerian courier services have enormous potentials of creating more than 300,000 jobs, and yet remains untapped, DigitalSENSE Business News reports.

Uba made this view known at just concluded 3rd Nigerian Courier Summit organized by Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) in Lagos, stressing that out of 291 courier services in the country only 20 are alive and making business from the business that they get from abroad because the services in Nigeria is in distress.

He said that only change is the panacea which must come from an independent regulator, noting that the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) as it now stand cannot operate without the enabling laws as it has not been able to solve infringement in the courier services, but rather refers the matter to the police whose hands are already full with constitutional duties.

DigitalSENSE Business News recorded that the Ebony Express boss singled out the DHL as the only courier company that has been able to maintain standard, whereas in others, a staff commit fraud in one office and he moves on to another company.
 He lamented the incursion of printers and online marketers turning themselves into agency that clears imported goods from the confine of their bedroom, while people also go to motor parks to send their consignment to be received in another park.

“The Post Cash in NIPOST is not working; stamp duty is not enforced because there is no law. People who retire from NIPOST don’t go to other courier business because in Nigeria there is no place for them. NIPOST now resort to capital market for survival and continue to increase licensing fee and renewal fee for genuine courier companies as if they are their problem. Some state governments want the courier companies to purchase power bike for their business and to register with the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), Nigeria Lorry Drivers Association, Nigerian Legion to have right of way. All these have helped to kill the potentials that ought to be tapped in the courier industry,” Uba lamented.

He advocated that the CRD as presently domiciled in NIPOST be moved to form the NIPOST Service Commission that has witnessed failed attempt to materialize since 2006.


AN/GEE

DigitalSENSE Business News
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pix: Postmaster General of Federation, Mall.Ibrahim Mori Baba

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