The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, has promised that the Bureau will provide technical support and knowhow to assist the Jigawa State Government to optimise its assets and identify key areas where Public Private Partnership (PPP) can make tangible impact on the state’s economy.
The Director-General gave this assurance during his courtesy visit to the State Governor, Mr. Umar Namadi, at the Jigawa State Governor’s lodge, Asokoro, recently in Abuja,
Okoh explained that the Bureau as the economic reform agency of the Federal Government had in the past supported other states as well as carried out reforms in many sectors of the Nigerian economy, leading to the establishment of organisations like the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Pension Commission (PenCom), the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission and many others.
He further pointed that the privatisation agency believes in the power of innovation, entrepreneurship, and private sector investment to drive the economy, adding that by harnessing the resources of the Jigagwa State with collaboration with the BPE, an enabling environment can be created to attract more investment to transform Jigawa state for socioeconomic prosperity.
According to him, the Bureau is an agency of the Federal Government with over 30 years’ experience in sector/enterprise reforms and assets optimisation in the country. He noted that, the Federal Government through a circular in 2020 expanded BPE’s mandated to include acting on its behalf in the administration of concession and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Nigeria.
Okoh further identified areas of investment opportunities in the state as agribusiness, solid minerals, renewable energy, light manufacturing, Maigatari Export Process Zone, and Gagarawa Industrial Pack.
He commended the State for ranking top as one of the best places for doing business in Nigeria based on the second edition of the Subnational Ease of Doing Business 2023 Report.
In his remarks, the Governor Namadi thanked the BPE’s boss on the visit and promised to collaborate with the Bureau to bring the needed economic reforms in the state.
