Telecom stakeholders have urged the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to come up with innovative ways to market its products.
They also urged the Federal Government to mandate Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals (MDAs) to utilise the facilities of the NIPOST to make it more viable.
The stakeholders made the call in separate interviews with newsmen in Abuja as Nigeria joins the world to celebrate the World Post Day on Oct. 9.
Mr Smart Tweador, who is the Chief Executive of Smart Connects, a telecom company, said it was expedient for government agencies to patronage NIPOST as it was planning to reform the organisation.
“The coming on stream of GSM has actually affected the functions of NIPOST since many people hardly write letters anymore.
“People make calls and send text messages instead of writing lengthy letters so NIPOST has got to come up with innovative ways to market their products.
“Beside that, you find out that the courier services are more efficient; aside from that transportation companies are now able to carry letters and those are fast means of getting your letters across.
“All you need to do is to call the person on phone and say go to a certain place and collect a letter, so with all other avenues to get across a letter, you find the fortunes of NIPOST has really been affected.
“Therefore, the onus is now on government to compel its agencies and officials to use NIPOST to transmit official letters; it should also make use of its EMS services and you will see this will rob off on the staff,’’ he said.
Tweador said that the only way to keep the organisation afloat was through patronage and urged the organisation to brace up to meet the current challenges in a competitive society.
Mrs Caroline Ojo, a civil servant called on the organisation to look beyond posting of letters and use its spread in the 774 local governments across the nation to utilise its EMS services to improve its revenue generation effort.
“NIPOST must be proactive and creative, it must make use of its facilities in the nooks and crannies of the country to beat competition.
“Apart from this, it can use the vehicles at the disposal of the organisation to bridge the gap between villages and cities in the transportation of farm produce.
“There are many possibilities for the organisation, also linking up with small scale businesses and get their patronage, these are areas that the other courier companies will not go to,’’ Ojo said.
Ojo however called for attitudinal change and work ethics by the staff of the organisation to move it forward and called on government to review the salary of staff to make them more committed to work.
The Tide source reports that about 150 countries take part in celebrating the World Post Day every year.
Some countries use the commemoration to promote their new postal services or products and reward their employees for good services.
Some other countries also organise philatelic (stamps) exhibitions and issue new stamps.
Other events usually lined up for the occasion include displaying posters on World Post Day in post offices as well as public places.
Public conferences, seminars and workshops including cultural, sport, and recreational activities are also part of the celebration.
The theme for the year’s celebration is: “Transform to remain an enabler of inclusiveness development and an essential component of the global economy’’.
The Tide reports that the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the world body of postal agencies was established in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland and its anniversary is celebrated on Oct. 9 , every year.
The anniversary of the UPU was declared as the World Post Day by the Universal Postal Union Congress in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.
On Jan. 1, 1985, NIPOST was established from the postal division of the Post and Telecommunications Department.