FG to Give Abuja Airport to Private Operator

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The Federal Government is set to concede the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to a private sector operator.The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, disclosed this on Thursday at a ceremony to mark the Privatisation Day at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair.Dikki said rather than sell the airport outright, it could be given 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 BPE 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 and railway tracks as well as the development of a framework for the concession of federal roads.Others are the establishment of some regulatory agencies and the privatisation of Skypower Catering Services Limited, subject to the consideration of the steering committee.Dikki said, “The Mines and Steel Department of the BPE was to privatise the coal blocks and sell the remaining non-core assets of the Nigeria Coal Corporation and Nigeria Mining Corporation in 2013 but litigation, resistance from the host communities and other stakeholder 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 the 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 input, while the steering committee was working on the national parks.Speaking on the benefits of past privatisation efforts, Dikki said the results had started trickling in as he disclosed that the Ugheli Power Plant was now generating about 400 megawatts of electricity; up from 150MW before privatisation.The President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Mr. Solomon Yagba, commended the BPE for its work, especially in the power sector, but charged the agency not to rest until the oil and gas sector was fully reformed and privatised.Yagba said the sale of electricity companies eluded most members of the chamber but added that they had now positioned themselves to take advantage of the reform of the oil industry.