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FG reiterates commitment to promoting businesses

By Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze, Abuja
18 May 2018   |   4:22 am
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has reiterated the commitment of the present administration to promoting the participation of the private sector in Nigeria’s strategic economic agenda.

Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has reiterated the commitment of the present administration to promoting the participation of the private sector in Nigeria’s strategic economic agenda.

Inaugurating a Stakeholders Engagement Committee of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister said the pro-business posture of the government is well reflected in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of this government.

He said: “Let me use this opportunity to reiterate that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari recognises and actively promotes the participation of the private sector in the strategic economic agenda of the nation.”

Mohammed said government will continue to create an enabling environment for private businesses to thrive, and build economic prosperity for the generality of Nigerians, including the provision of critical infrastructure through Public Private Partnership.

He urged members of the Committee to do everything possible to ensure that the committee lives up to its responsibilities by ensuring that it identifies and maintains contacts with various stakeholders and opinion leaders; and advise the Council accordingly.

In his remarks, the Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, said in the last 30 years, over 140 public enterprises across various sectors of the economy have been fully or partially privatised or fully or partially commercialised or concessioned.

“Of these privatised enterprises, over 60 per cent have achieved a good level of performance. The generation companies are performing very well. I can also tell you that the seaports are performing despite some infrastructural constraints,” he said.

Okoh said the importance of an effective stakeholders’ engagement strategy cannot be over-emphasised, in view of the need to build support and understanding for the Federal Government’s reform agenda by effectively communicating the benefits of the privatisation programme.

The Committee, also chaired by Mohammed, has the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr. Garba Abari; the President of NACCIMA, Iyalode Alaba Lawson; Ben Upah representing NLC, as members.

Others include Auwal Musa for the Civil Society; Maxwell Loko for Nigerian Television Authority; Olaniyi Omodara for National Human Rights Commission; and Emmanuel Uchola for the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment as some of the members.

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