By Frank Momoh
Nigeria’s Postmaster General, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi over the weekend emerged as the Vice Chairman of the African Postal Union (APU) at a keenly contested 10th Session election held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
He reiterated in his postal election speech that that postal services hold a lot of potential for the growth of Africa, even as he advocated that African countries should deploy and adopt Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and digital tools in driving the postal operations in Africa.
While Zimbabwe which hosted the conference for this year was elected Chairperson, Algeria emerged 1st Chairperson to run the affairs of the continental body for the next four years.
The body is to run the affairs of PAPY as international bureau.
Founded in 1980, PAPU is a member of the Universal Postal Union mandated to oversee issues of postal services on the African continent.
The Postmaster General of ZimPost, Mr. Sifundu Chief Moyo, was elected Secretary General of PAPU.
It is the first time a Southern African country would be elected to the position in its 41 years of existence of PAPU.
According to Adewusi, postal agencies across Africa must rise up to the new opportunities offered by technology to help leapfrog the economies of their respective countries.
“The incursion of technology into communication has changed the way things are done. But rather than relegate postal services to the background, those who run postal organisations across this continent must continuously look inward to ensure that we leverage technology to contribute to the economies of our countries,” Adewusi advised.