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The Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the government of Côte d'Ivoire opened a facility on 20 May showcasing the post office of the future at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
In a keynote speech at the ceremony, the UPU’s Deputy Director General Pascal Clivaz said, “As we launch this novel facility today, I am encouraged that we have a model of a modern post office that will promote digital inclusion and the digital economy, and provide modern and innovative postal services.”
Designed to reinforce the importance of the national postal network in Côte d'Ivoire, the facility will help meet market needs as well as adapt postal services to new technologies. The facility also offers a modern image of the post in the West African country and aims to foster social inclusion through a digital postal network.
“I am glad to inform you that within the agreement of this project, the UPU has spent a total of CHF 104’000 for the acquisition of IT equipment required to setup this facility. We have also provided technical expertise to support the government of Côte d'Ivoire on the technical aspects of the project,” Clivaz informed the audience.
The Post Office of the Future project was identified by the UPU as one of the landmark projects for the Abidjan Universal Postal Congress. Overall the goal was to highlight to the international postal community a modern Ivorian Post, and a symbol of African postal operators and their growing technological achievements.
However, the Universal Postal Congress was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it was decided to inaugurate the facility during a pre-Congress preparation visit of a team from UPU’s headquarters in Bern, Switzerland. The 27th Universal Congress will now take place in Cote d’Ivoire from 9-27 August 2021.
Other participants at the ceremony included Roger Félix Adom, Minister of Digital Economy, Telecommunications and Innovation, and representatives of La Poste Côte d'Ivoire.