By Peter Egwuatu

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has revealed plans to list some priviatised enterprises on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Director General of the BPE, Ms. Bolanle Onagoruwa pledged to partner with the NSE to deepen the capital market in the country.

Onagoruwa told the new Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, who led other officials on a courtesy visit to BPE disclosed that the Bureau has earmarked some privatized enterprises to be listed on the Stock Exchange as part of the BPE’s effort to boost the capital market.

He listed some of these as Transcorp Hilton Hotel where the Federal Government plans to divest 24 per cent out of its 49 percent equity and Eleme Petrochemicals in which the Federal Government intends to give out its remaining five percent holding in the company.

On Transcorp Hilton Hotel, she said the process is on_going due to a little hiccup over the shareholding structure. In the case of Eleme Petrochemicals, the process would be consummated in a few years.

She added that negotiations are on_going with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that once the apex bank hands off the running of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), it would also be listed on the Stock Exchange in 2015.

Onagoruwa added there were prospects that some of the successor companies created out of the unbundled PHCN would also be listed in the capital market. She explained that the Bureau intend to privatize the nation’s refineries so that they would be listed on the Stock Exchange but for the political climate in the country.

The BPE boss pointed out that 24 out the nation’s 26 seaports had been concessioned and are doing well. She added that investment opportunities were still open in the maritime sector through the inland water ways.

Speaking , the new Chief Executive Officer of the NSE,Mr.Onyema, explained that he embarked on interactive visits to various stakeholders in the economy to partner with them on how to deepen and broaden Nigeria’s capital market.

He stated that the NSE is interested in partnering with the BPE with respect to transactions in the oil and gas sector, adding that the NSE Board had approved structural changes to move the Stock Exchange forward.

He added the interactive visits are intended to educte the investing public on some of the changes at the Exchange so that they could buy in.