Mandatory Certification Training Programme For Courier And Logistics Operators Kicks-Off In Lagos

NIPOST, Lagos Govt Say Programme Will Instill Professionalism And High Ethical Standards In The Industry

Dignitaries at the occasion

Closer cooperation and synergy between federal government agencies and their counterparts at the States in addressing peculiar challenges, has been advocated for the speedy actualization of government objectives in critical sectors of the economy.

The Post Master General, Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, Dr. Ismail Adewusi and other government functionaries advocated this at the formal kick-off of the partnership between the service and Lagos State Government aimed at instilling professionalism in the courier and logistics industry.

Under the partnership, a total of 300 participants per batch are to be trained every Friday and Saturday for a period of 20 weeks

Delivering the keynote address, the Permanent secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State, Mr. Kamar Olowoshago, said the certification training programme was necessary to bridge the obvious skill gap and lack of professionalism among most courier and logistics operators in the state.

A section of the participants

Mr. Olowoshago who thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu for approving the programme, stated that it was regrettable that most of the operators had no knowledge of simple road signs, even as some of them them probably thought that they were exempted from the rules.

Also observing that lots of the Courier and Logistics operators had come into the business after the ENDSARS protests, probably with the ban placed on activities of commercial motorcyclists popularly called “Okada riders, the permanent secretary urged that there was urgent need to instill professionalism in the industry, particularly in Lagos State, being the commercial nerve centre of the country.

In his words, “This is a synergy between NIPOST and Lagos State Government. It is probably the first of its kind in the courier and logistics business, and I want to most importantly thank Mr. Governor for facilitating and ensuring that this comes to fruition.

“The essence is to instill professionalism in the Courier and Logistics business, particularly in Lagos State being the commercial nerve centre of the country.

“You see that immediately after the ENDSARS protests and probably because Okada was banned, we saw many coming into this business and we thought this is not acceptable on Lagos roads.

“Most times, we see them displaying unprofessional conducts. We have discovered over time with NIPOST who is their regulator that most of these people are not trained. They don’t know the rules and regulations in Lagos State.

” And we thought that if we have this partnership, then apart from the industrial aspect of the training, there is going to be professional aspects too. And at the end ,our riders will be certified and apart from the certification, they will know how to ply the road.

“Most of them don’t know that you can’t drive on the walkway, median and overhead bridges. They don’t know that the traffic signs are meant for them. The just believe that they are exempted from these rules”, Olowoshago stressed.

In a message to the occasion, the Post Master General, NIPOST, Dr. Ismail Adewusi said the service was committed to entrenching high level of professionalism and ethical standards in the courier and logistics industry.

Dr. Adewusi whose message was delivered by the Director, Nigerian Postal Institute, Dr. Julius Bolade stated that the plan was to extend the partnership to all the states including the Federal capital territory.

He said “It is a very veritable partnership between NIPOST and Lagos State. We have been working on this for a long time and we want to thank God for making the way today.

“We in the Nigerian Postal Service, our desire is to have a good regulatory environment in the Courier and Logistics industry as well as transport. And what has happened today is to kick-start the training of dispatch riders and drivers to ensure that they comply with the professional and ethical standards of the industry and also that everything that they need to know about road network, signs, what to do, what not to do, they know it. And that is why we are collaborating with Lagos State and Lagos State Drivers Institute.

Dr. Julius Bolade

On the plan by NIPOST to replicate the programme in all the States of the federation, the Post Master General noted that, “We are going outside Lagos. We are kick-starting from Lagos because majority of operators are in Lagos and as such starting from Lagos is a good way to begin.

“We have already started discussion with Edo State. We are also discussing with Abuja. We are taking it one after the other. After this, we are going to fastract our discussion with other states, so that this programme can go round the country”.

On his part, the General Manager, Courier and Logistics Regulatory Department, NIPOST, Mr. Dotun Shonde explained that the service was taking advantage of the training programme to properly sensitise the operators, while using their associations to mobilise their colleagues that are still outside Government tax net.

“The partnership is highly desired. We have been working on it for over 6 months and its necessary because we are both partners in progress. NIPOST represents the Federal Government and 40% of the operators are in Lagos State, so there is need for synergy, to bring about ease of doing busines, create conducive atmosphere for both the business and investors. So it is really much desired.

“Like I usually say, training is not a punishment. Some of them had sacrificed the whole day to be here because they have seen the importance of training.

“Most of them actually need training. Most of them are ignorant of it. We are trying to bring it to their knowledge. Let them know the consequences of contravening the federal laws, the states laws and the Local Government laws.

“Courier and logistics business is a business of trust and speed. We intend to do more of sensitization like this and of course we have those who are licenced already by NIPOST. We are also using their associations to mobilise those who are outside government tax net”, Shonde added.

Top officials of some of the organisations in the Lagos State transport sector including Last State Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State Drivers’ Institute and LASTMA were present at the event,alongside their counterparts from NIPOST.

The mandatory industrial training programme for all dispatch riders and delivery drivers in Lagos State has the theme, ” enhancing professionalism in courier and logistics services.

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