Nipost to bring 40m into financial market
on February 20, 2015 / in News 10:22
am / Comments
By Emmanuel Elebeke
The Post Master General of Nigerian Postal Services, Mallam
Ibrahim Mori Baba, says the Post will bring over 40 million rural people into
the financial market with the establishment of shared financial agent services
across the country.
The PMG was speaking on the newly launched One Network
managed multi- stakeholder partnership at Kubwa Post office, Abuja.
He said the post office will soon become the most important
center for access to financial and citizen services under the financial
inclusion pragramme of the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN in partnership with the
federal Ministry of Communications Technology.
Baba stated that the NIPOST is not just about posting stamps
but is actually setup to provide much more such as e-commerce and other allied
services.
‘‘We have completed arrangements with e-commerce services
providers like Konga who will also be able to utilize this project to extend
their services to unserved areas across the country.
The facility which is a partnership between Nipost and
NigComSat and managed by One Network limited is powered by NigComSat’s new
Ka-band to boost internet accessibility in all the targeted 50,000 rural area
locations across the country.
The launching of the project was described as a major
milestone in making financial inclusion a reality in Nigeria, with about 1,170
post offices available for the provision of the shared financial services by
Central Bank Licensed Financial institutions like FirstBank’s FirstMonie,
Nigeria Agric. payment Initiative ( NAPI ) involving NIMC , Ministry of
Agriculture and Central Bank based on Cellulant’s mobile payment platform.
The Managing-Director of NIGCOMSAT, Ms Abimbola Alale, said
that the new Ka-band would provide cheap internet financial transactions and
internet accessibility at a lower cost to Nigerians through this partnership.
Alale said the new Ka-band inaugurated recently would be
used by NIPOST, government, private and public stakeholders to achieve its aim.
On his part, the Director General of NITDA , Mr Peter Jack
expressed commitment in setting up Public Access Venues with connected systems
that can be used for access to digital services by the local community where
the post offices are located.
The project is an initiative of stakeholders coming together
to make sure that it works out.
It is expected to transform NIPOST to a modern postal service through digital
financial services starting with 1170 Post offices across the country.
The Chief executive of One Network, the project managing partner, Mr Sola
Bickersteth, said the Ka-band satellite from NIGCOMSAT would enable affordable
connectivity in every rural community across Nigeria, creating job
opportunities for interested agents .
He said rural people would also have access to agriculture loans, small
business loans , mortgage facilities , insurance among others services that are
beneficial to rural citizens .
“We are collaborating with The various stakeholders to have
the post offices properly equipped, powered and connected as well provided with
trained agent services staff,’’ he added.
Under the scheme, other financial institutions and service providers would also
have the opportunity to become a part of the NIPOST Financial and Citizen
Benefit Shared Services Scheme which targets 50,000 locations across the
country.
In addition, the National Identity Management Commission (
NIMC) also would leverage the facility for enrolment of local citizens to
obtain their National Identity Cards.
- See more at:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/nipost-plans-to-bring-40m-into-financial-market/#sthash.JQopIsp9.dpuf
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