Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has given the Bureau of Public Enterprises (NCP) the go ahead to collect N165.547 million from five companies as proceeds from the sale of five of the remaining subsidiaries of the Nigerian Mining Corporation (NMC).
The NCP in a statement from the spokesman of the BPE, Mr. Chukwuma Nwokoh, thursday in Abuja, reportedly approved this at its fourth meeting for 2017.
The statement said it approved the sale of Naraguta Bricks and Clay Company to the University of Jos at the offer price of N45 million; Maiduguri Bricks and Clay Company to Gargam International Services Limited at the bid price of N63 million; NIMCO Terrazo Company Limited to Alheri (JJ) Nigeria Limited at the offer price of N15,297,000, Gano Quarry to A.A Y International Mining Company Limited at the bid price of N21,700,000, and Kujama Quarry to Yusuf Mariri Trading Company Limited at the bid offer of N20,550,000.
According to the BPE, the Technical Committee of the NCP opened the financial bids of the pre-qualified prospective core investors for the enterprises at a public ceremony on October 24, 2017.
It also noted that the privatisation move was vital because the plant and equipment had outlived their economic life and suffered theft and vandalism over the years.
“The 23 subsidiaries of the NMC had ceased operations since the late 1980s, as a result of which they were closed down and the staff disengaged in 2004 by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, but for a few that were retained to provide skeletal services,†said the statement.
It added that the NCP also approved the pre-qualification of five firms which should be issued Request for Proposals (RFPs) with respect to the engagement of transaction advisers for the partial commercialisation of the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs).
The firms, it explained, included Agric-Africa Consultants, Halcrow Infrastructure, CPCS, Thomas Macaulay Capital, and Feedback Infrastructure Services.
It stated that the NCP also approved that RFPs be issued to three firms that met the pre-qualifying score following the evaluation of Expressions of Interest for the engagement of transaction advisers for the partial commercialisation of the Nigeria National Parks Service and concession of eco-tourism activities in three selected national parks. The firms are African Wildlife Foundation, IOS Partners/IWorld/Ecoplannet, and CPCS.
