#SayNoToNipostFee: Nigerians protest unfair regulation of logistics/courier businesses

Small business owners in Nigeria have taken to social media to protest the new regulations of logistics businesses by the Nigerian postal service (NIPOST)

 This new regulation targeted at courier companies and delivery services, is expected to increase the cost of delivered goods.

According to the new charges by NIPOST, companies which provide international courier services like DHL, UPS and FEDEX, are expected to pay N20m for a new licence and N8m annually while those offering national services are expected to pay N10m for licence and N4m yearly for renewal.

Logistics companies operating within regions are expected to pay N5m for licence and N2m annually.

For firms operating within states, the cost of procuring a licence is N2m while renewal costs N800,000.

Courier firms that operate within municipalities are to pay N1m for licence and N400,000 annually.

For Small and Medium Enterprises, the licence is N250,000 while the annual renewal of the licence is N100,000.

According to business strategy expert, Ayo Bankole NIPOST has just declared war on small and medium scale businesses in Nigeria, because logistics has become a flashpoint of trade during the COVID-19 pandemic with many SMEs relying on it for transactions, & many youths who lost income elsewhere investing. “What is happening is a tragedy.” He says.

Nigerian business owners have since taken to social media with the hashtag #SayNoToNipostFee to protest the new regulations

If Nipost was efficient

We won't have to use dispatch riders.

But the govt has seen a thriving business and is now looking for a way to eat from where no concern them #SayNoToNipostFee

— Cinderella Man (@Osi_Suave) July 25, 2020

I will never understand the idea of a regulator being a player in the same industry. Just thinking about it, it is stupid. You are either a regular or a player, you can’t intersect both ends. That’s just plain annoying and it doesn’t matter the argument for this. It is daft! https://t.co/5UaVM6EwUk

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 24, 2020

Two of my dispatch riders called to cancel all my deliveries for tomorrow because NIPOST task force members will allegedly flood Lagos roads to arrest courier companies that don't obtain a new NIPOST permit that allegedly costs 1 Million Naira!

Are we not mad in this country?

— LOLA (@CuteNaija) July 24, 2020

Should Nipost not be making lives easier by actually functioning properly? You really cannot do this to Nigerians. We cannot take any more. The suffering is at its peak! #SayNoToNipostFee

— Written By (@DamiElebe) July 25, 2020

#SayNoToNipostFee So many humble businesses are about to crumble because of this.

Customers will have to pay high amount for deliveries

Sellers would have to pay high amount for their goods to be brought to them.

Logistic companies have to huge amounts for license.

— ??????? (@TzOlawale) July 25, 2020

You keep making policies to destroy businesses and lifelihood if these dispatch riders turn to crime now you will call them criminals, this country will not be safe if government keep up with this senseless policies. #SayNoToNipostFee

— Israel B. Baruwa?? (@izzyoflife) July 25, 2020

This is outrageous, inhumane, and as such not welcomed. The govt should look at areas to support SME's like this and give us a. Headway rather than causing pain to her citizens. #SayNoToNipostFee #NOTONIPOSTFEE

— Sheriff Noble (@noblebuddie) July 25, 2020

Lagos State, which is the commercial nerve centre of the country, is believed to have not less than 300 courier services many of whom are not registered with NIPOST.

The new charges imposed by NIPOST, it was learnt, were part of an attempt to increase its revenue and sanitise the system.