BPE Plans Concession for Abuja Airport

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has planned a concession for the Abuja International Airport to a private sector operator.

Mr. Benjamin Dikki, director general of the privatisation agency, disclosed this yesterday at a ceremony to mark privatisation day at the on-going Abuja International Trade Fair.

Dikki said rather than sell the airport outright; it could be given out to a private sector operator to manage for a period of 15 or 20 years.

The transaction, he said, would be subject to the consideration of the steering committee, adding that the privatisation agency would soon engage the Ministry of Aviation towards achieving the goal.

The BPE boss listed other activities that could be carried out this year to include the concession of river channels; the concession of railway tracks; the development of a framework for the concession of federal roads.

Others are the establishment of some regulatory agencies; the privatisation of Skypower Catering Services Limited subject to consideration of the steering committee.

Dikki said, “The Mines and Steel Department (of BPE) was to privatise the coal blocks and sell the remaining non-core assets of Nigeria Coal Corporation and Nigeria Mining Corporation in 2013 but litigations, resistance from host communities and other stakeholders issues delayed the transactions.

“The bureau, in collaboration with the Enugu State Government, has set up a joint committee to resolve some of the issues. Another joint committee headed by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development was set up to resolve the legal and other issues that impeded the sale process of the coal blocks.

“The National Council on Privatisation has approved the following transactions as definite for 2014: sale of residential houses/lands of NCC; sale of Naraguta and Maiduguri Bricks; sale of non-core assets of Makeri and Mineral Houses, residential houses/vacant lands; and sale of Ogwashi-Azagba Coal Block.”

He said the concept paper for sports reform and concession of the stadia had been sent to the National Sports Commission for inputs while for national parks; the work of the steering committee is on-going.

Speaking on the benefits of past privatisation efforts, Dikki said the results has started trickling in as he disclosed that Ugheli Power Plant now generates about 400 Megawatts of electricity; up from 150MW before privatisation.