By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The Regional Transport
Workshop for Africa has opened in Addis Ababa, bringing together major players
in trade, postal services and logistics to explore ways of strengthening
cross-border connectivity and building more efficient supply chains across the continent.
The three-day workshop is
being organised by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and Ethiopost, with the
participation of Ethiopian Airlines. The forum brings together the three
institutions to advance discussions on the future of Africa’s logistics infrastructure
and cross-border trade.
The workshop will focus on
modernising Africa’s supply chain infrastructure for postal and e-commerce
goods, strengthening coordination between air cargo and ground distribution,
and accelerating regional economic integration and the implementation of the
African Continental Free Trade Area.
Ethiopost, which has been
expanding its capabilities in e-commerce and last-mile delivery, is working
with the UPU and Ethiopian Airlines to explore how postal and logistics
infrastructure can support more cost-effective trade across African markets.
Speaking at the opening of
the workshop, Ethiopost Chief Executive Officer Dagmawi Hailiye emphasised the
need to integrate modern last-mile technologies, noting that postal services
are increasingly becoming major logistics engines for the continent.
UPU Director of Development
and Cooperation, Mutua Mutusi, praised Ethiopost’s recent international
successes and highlighted the organisation’s reform journey as a potential
model for other African postal operators.
The workshop will conclude
with an on-site visit to Ethiopian Airlines’ cargo hub and Ethiopost’s
international mail exchange centre, offering participants an opportunity to
examine the integrated infrastructure Ethiopia is developing to support the
future of African logistics and continental trade.
