The Nigerian Postal Services, (NIPOST) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have opened communication on a partnership that would lead to the adoption of NIPOST digital addressing initiative as a condition for the issuance of driver’s licence in the country.
The two agencies opened talks when the Postmaster General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi, paid a courtesy visit to the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi
The partnership is to ensure adequate use of major services offered by the postal agency.
The digital addressing platform seeks to authenticate all addresses provided by Nigerians and give more credibility to documents issued by the government to its citizens and other residents such as the driver’s licence, vehicle registration, National Identity Number (NIN), internatioanl passport, and voters’ card among others. The initiative is capable of tracking fake addresses.
During the visit to the Corps Headquarters in Abuja, Dr. Adewusi commended the FRSC boss for the various digitalisation efforts of the agency.
“NIPOST, as one of the oldest agencies in the country, abd it is developing different technological tools to remain a formidable agency of government.
“The agency has moved on despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after I assumed office as NIPOST boss.
“Many people put wrong or untraceable addresses when those are requested for services. The platform would address such practices by digitising addresses and ensuring information provided are genuine,” Adewusi said.
The Post Master General requested that FRSC allows NIPOST handle the delivery of all driver’s licence in the country, saying NIPOST now has the capacity to deliver postal items within 48 hours.
Responding, the Corps Marshal, Oyeyemi, commended the Postmaster General on the initial and improved services of NIPOST.
He said the information gathered showed that the agency is delivering on its mandates and satisfying its clients.
Oyeyemi assured the Postmaster General of effective collaboration, stressing that in the nearest future, holders of driver’s licence who changed addresses would be required to update them by providing a verified digital address before being issued a new licence.
“The Corps would very soon begin to demand for National Identity Number (NIN) for vehicle registration and driver’s licence. With the adoption of this initiative, FRSC’s works would be more seamless if we can get verified address of applicants.
“If applicants don’t provide verifiable addresses, such applications may not be granted. This is something that everybody will embrace,” he said.
The Corps Marshal added that FRSC needed verified addresses to apprehend traffic offenders, vehicle registration and driver’s licence issuance.
“It is something that we must make to work for nation building and development,” he stated.
As part of the FRSC’s digitisation drive, Oyeyemi said FRSC had deployed body cameras in some parts of the country to curb incessant assaults on the personnel on patrol, adding that by the end of the year, the agency would have deployed the devices across the whole country.
He advised NIPOST management to embrace the use of the devices to enhance services in the area of tracking fleet and security of mails.
