Cote d’Ivoire digitizes postal services with mobile app launch

Cote d’Ivoire has reached a new milestone in its public sector digitization push with the launch of a mobile application to streamline access to postal and other government services.

MaPoste, as the app is called, was launched a few days ago by the National Civil Status and Identification Office (ONECI) and La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire, the agency overseeing postal services in the country. The app is linked with the ID authority’s biometric National Register of Natural Persons (RNPP).

According to a news release from ONECI, the app will make it possible for persons wo have a National Identification Number (NIN) to access postal and other services directly from their smart phones.

The app will allow users to manage notifications for parcels or incoming mails, be able to choose delivery options for their mails, as well as apply for things like a national ID card, birth certificate and criminal record document without necessarily visiting physical offices.

Also, as part of the novelty, officials say the use of digital post boxes will be obligatory from March 1, and they are giving users a transition period to comply with new requirements. These boxes will be assigned to all individuals and businesses with postal addresses and they shall be linked to their NIN.

“With MaPoste, La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire takes a decisive step forward in its modernization strategy. The institution is adopting a ‘phygital’ approach, blending its extensive physical network of over 200 post offices across the country with cutting-edge digital tools to deliver a simplified, secure, and legally compliant user experience,” the ONECI announcement reads.

Speaking at the app launch event, the Director General of ONECI, Ago Christian Kodia, described the move as a key part of the country’s ongoing digital transformation journey. He noted that by integrating digital identity into MaPoste, ONECI and La Poste aim to “ensure transaction reliability, personal data protection, and full traceability of administrative procedures, thereby strengthening user trust.”

“MaPoste is far more than just an app. It is the foundation for the digital transformation of our public services, a concrete step toward a paperless, carbon-neutral administration that is more resilient against document fraud,” the Director General of La Poste de Cote d’Ivoire, Isaac Gnamba-Yao said, according to the agency’s own announcement concerning the app launch.

The official added that the new system has been designed to fix addressing issues which used to be confusing, combat fraud and enhance traceability, formalize the parcel and mail delivery sector and accelerate digitization.

For the digital post boxes, individuals will pay an annual fee of 2,000 Franc CFA (US$3.5), small business will pay FCFA 25,000 (us$44), and FCFA 50,000 (US$87) is the charge for large businesses.

Cote d’Ivoire is one of the latest examples in postal services digitization. Other countries like India, the UK, U.S., Philippines and Bahrain have also taken measures to modernize their post office systems by integrating them with digital ID to streamline access to services.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  Côte d’Ivoire  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  mobile app  |  national ID  |  ONECI  |  super app