‘Effective partnership key to courier sector growth’

Effective partnership among indigenous courier and logistics operators in West Africa has been identified as the solution to tackling the current challenges faced by players in the industry.

The sector is currently confronted with several challenges such as – use of manual systems, which results in poor co-ordination of service and poor customer satisfaction, as well as lack of delivery status and delivery notifications.

The challenges could be curbed if operators in the West African terrain adopt and customise appropriate technology as foreign companies do, stakeholders in the sector say.

According to Isaac Riverson, executive secretary, Ghana Courier and Postal Commission, “if the right partnership platform is provided, courier companies will harness individual resources of courier and logistics operators within the sub-region into a formidable force that can compete with the multinational counterparts.”

Delivering a lecture at the at fifth Bowill Errands Limited Annual Lecture recently held in Lagos, Riverson noted that in recent time courier companies had themselves from ordinary mail delivery services by distinct features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialisation and individualisation in the delivery of goods and materials across borders.

To him, inventions make it attractive for businesses in nearly every industry to use courier to transport and deliver documents and package among themselves and their customers.

Siyanbola Oladapo, CEO, Bowill Errands Limited in his address, said “courier services have gone international, hence, operators should look beyond Nigeria because there is an immense business opportunities in the sector that can be better harnessed if existing relationships among West African operators are improved on.”

Market in the sub region is estimated at a population of 308.66 million out of Africa’s 1.04 billion, with a gross domestic product of $359.5 billion as of 2011, Oladapo further disclosed, adding that proximity, cohabitation, similar cultures, democratic governance and the existence of regional organisations such as the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) are expected to drive trade within the region.

Culled from Business Day Online.