NIPOST, Interior Ministry Collaborate on Seamless International Passports Delivery

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) is seeking to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Interior to use its facilities to deliver international passports and other critical documents nationwide.

The Postmaster General of the Federation/CEO, NIPOST, Tola Odeyemi, disclosed this when she visited the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at Abuja’s Ministry of Interior headquarters.

Odeyemi believes the partnership would deepen inter-agency collaboration by leveraging NIPOST’s vast network for e-fulfilment services in Nigeria.

This partnership, if successful, would reflect part of the changes Nigerians have been clamouring for in putting NIPOST’s facilities to good use.

Odeyemi’s visit was aimed at fostering partnership and opening channels of synergy between the two organizations based on her three-point agenda, which includes “Delivery of critical document, i.e., International Passport, Backend services for processing of passport utilizing NIPOST selected locations, and the use of NIPOST for Address Verification System (AVS).”

The NIPOST boss concluded by soliciting the Ministry’s partnership in utilizing the NIPOST network to deliver critical documents to citizens in the country and the diaspora.

She said the role of NIPOST is strategic in enhancing security, which is crucial to the development of the Nation, in addition to fulfilling the Nation’s quest to grow the digital economy.

In his response, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was said to have congratulated the Postmaster General on her well-deserved appointment and expressed the confidence that with her expertise she will drive the organization to greater heights. 

“He pledged to support the Postmaster General to succeed, as he is committed to seeing to the fulfilment of the collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). He emphasized that the office of the Minister is always accessible for productive strategic partnership and the Ministry will continue to explore ways and cultivate collaboration that would help in fulfilling his mandate to Nigerians,” the NIPOST said in the statement. 

Before Odeyemi’s appointment, Nigerians had listed the changes they expected to see at NIPOST under the leadership of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijan. The suggestions for a reformed NIPOST came at the behest of the Minister, who sought the Nigerian’s opinion on what an ideal NIPOST should be. 

Critical among the suggestions was that NIPOST should function like the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and become a powerhouse to drive e-commerce growth.   

October 26, 2023