By Emma Ujah

Abuja—The Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, generated about N251.5 billion from 122 privatised enterprises from 1999-2012, Director-General of the privatisation agency, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, has revealed.

Receiving a team from Standard and Poors and Fitch Rating Agencies which was on a visit to the Bureau on Wednesday, the BPE boss said of the amount, N147 billion was remitted to the privatisation proceeds account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The team, led by Mr. Richard Fox, was at the Bureau in continuation of this year’s Nigeria sovereign rating.

Dikki informed the visitors that of the privatised enterprises, 66 percent was doing well, while 34 per cent still had issues to be sorted out.

He maintained that the government was creating an enabling environment for private sector investments in infrastructure through institution of sound policies, liberalization and delineation of the roles of the parties, appropriate legal and regulatory framework, mitigation of risks and introduction of independent economic  regulators limiting government to policy formulation, planning and technical regulation among others.

According to him, BPE has championed various reforms in the Nigerian economy including the Pension Reform Act 2004 which led to the establishment of the National Pension Commission and entrenchment of a stable pension policy in Nigeria.

He also listed the emergence of several Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs; Cross debt resolution, leading to the establishment of Debt Management Office, DMO, and Ports and Harbour Authorities Bill which proposes to repeal the Nigerian Ports Authority Act No. 38, 1999, as some other areas the agency had introduced reforms.

Dikki, who was represented by the Head, Strategic Planning, Mr. Osauzo Obaro, said the Bureau was currently working to commercialise the country’s 12 River Basin Development Authorities, RBDAs, seven national parks, three Development Finance Institutions, DFIs, Bank of Industry, BOI, Bank of Agriculture, BOI, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, and Federal Housing Authority, FHA.