…BPE rakes N93.47bn in 2024
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, to urgently resolve the disputes surrounding the sale of Sapele II power plant – Ogorode Generation Company Ltd – as well as that of the Nigerian Coal Corporation’s coal blocks.
Shettima, who is the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, urged close collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies of government to actualise the agenda of the Federal government across different sectors.
The Vice President spoke when he chaired the 3rd meeting of the National Council on Privatisation to ratified the 2021 and 2022 audit financial reports of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
He particularly commended the agency for its close supervision and conclusion of the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant concession, as well as efforts to establish an Independent System Operator.
Senator Shettima further tasked BPE to work with the various committees of the NCP and the Ministry of Justice, and come up with a robust road map to expedite the completion of outstanding transactions, in the interest of the nation.
The Vice President noted that making important decisions in the power sector would be critical to tackling the perennial issues in the country’s energy industry.
Presenting a progress report on the 2024 work plan of the BPE, the Director General, Mr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, said the agency has generated a whopping N93.47 billion in the first two quarters of 2024, representing 35.9 percent of its expected revenues.
According to Gbeleyi, the N93.47 billion was from three national assets sold by the agency, while highlighting measures adopted by the agency to improve its operations
He said: “The Bureau generated the sum of N93.47 billion in the first and second quarters of the year 2024 from three transactions, representing 35.9% of the expected revenues during the period under review.”
Gbeleyi listed the measures adopted by the agency to improve its operations to include “strengthening of concession management capacity, reinvigoration of post-transaction management capacity for effective performance and the deployment of best practices in reform optimisation of public enterprises.”
