The Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) says its priority in the next four years would focus on encouraging more private sector operators to invest in critical sectors of the Nigerian economy through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
The Director General of the Bureau, Alex Okoh who was re-appointed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second tenure said was one of his management’s six-point agenda in the next four years.
In his first statement since his re-appointment was confirmed last week, Okoh said already the Federal Government has simplified the PPP process such that private sector players are now allowed to scout for projects that requires financing through the PPP model.
Other priorities outlined under the DG’s six-point agenda include completion of all ongoing reform and privatisation activities of the Bureau, and carrying out of all other transactions scheduled for reforms and privatisation in the Privatisation and Commercilaisation Act 1999 of the BPE.
The agenda also include ensuring the passage of all reform bills pending before the National Assembly; ensuring a robust engagement with all relevant stakeholders, and deepening of the core values of the Bureau by ensuring integrity and transparency, team-work, accountability and professionalism in all transactions .
Part of his immediate pre-occupation ion, Okoh said, would be to put in place a template to further reinvigorate the Bureau’s activities in all sectors of the economy.
Also, to step up efforts towards revving up those enterprises that are due for either reforms or privatisation.
“In all our transactions, transparency and accountability will continue to be our watch word. It is also an opportunity for the country to witness increased activities in our mandate, which will lead to the creation of more job opportunities for our teeming youth population and increased revenue generation for the Federal Government”, he said.
Okoh thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who is also the Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) for finding him worthy of re-appointment.
Noting that his re-appointment was an evidence of the confidence both of them repose in him to lead the privatisation agency, the DG promised to re-double his efforts in the next four years to recreate and reinvent the Bureau to become one of the top most reform agency in the world.