The Senator representing Lagos Central in the National Assembly, Oluremi Shade Tinubu, has called for the creation of a Universal Postal Services Fund as part of the measures to modernize postal industry in the country.

She also made the case establishment of Nigerian Postal Commission to split up the roles of policy maker, independent regulator and industry operator which the Nigerian Postal Service  (NIPOST) is currently saddled with.

Leading the debate on the bill for an Act to repeal the Nigerian Postal Service Act 2004 and establish the commission to make comprehensive provisions for the development and regulation of postal services, Tinubu said the bill, if passed, will successfully unbundle the Nigerian Postal Service from “the huge monstrosity that it currently is.”

She disclosed that the inefficiencies of the postal services, advancement in technology and the introduction of electronic mail that had led to decline in demand for traditional postal services require a reform in the agency’s mode of operation since 1852.

“The global postal industry and indeed, every facet of human life has continued to evolve, thus requiring the Nigerian Postal Industry to rise to demands of existing realities. Consequently, the subsisting Act which has been in place since 2004 has been overtaken by events and is not reflective of the times we are in.

“To set NIPOST back on track, we need innovation, integration and inclusion in keeping up with current trends, and introducing ICT to ensure quicker and more effective service  delivery. To do this however, it is important to take a look at, and re – engineering the agency’s establishment Act, its power and its functions,” said Tinubu.

The bill, she further added, the bill would expand the scope  of NIPOST to cover implementation of the National Postal Policy, encouraging local and foreign investment in the postal industry, protection of rights and interests of service providers in the sector, provision of postal services  to areas and towns that were erstwhile not sustainable, promoting small and medium enterprises in the sector.

On establishment of Universal Postal Service Fund, the senator said the facility which shall be funded via appropriation from the National Assembly, contributions to the fund by the licensees among others to be applied for the deployment of subsidized postal services and infrastructure to the unserved and undeserved areas.

“By passing this bill, we will not only be ensuring that our postal services are carried out in line with international best practices, we will also be sending a signal to would be investors that we are an investment haven. This bill will serve as catalyst for local and foreign postal investment while attracting skilled personnel in the field,” Tinubu stated.

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The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, following the contributions to motion at the plenary session, referred the bill to the relevant senate committees mandated to report back within four weeks.