The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, has promised that Bureau would deploy its expertise to assist the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in its efforts to develop some key projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
Some of the projects include, cattle ranching and dairy processing factories in three states, namely Sokoto, Kano and Imo; agricultural farms in many states of the Federation; industrial entities and the correctional centres’ land swapping projects.
Okoh made this promise when he led a team of the BPE’s management on a courtesy visit to the Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Mallam Haliru Nababa, in his office on Wednesday in Abuja.
The BPE boss said: “BPE with more than 30 years’ experience in the reform and optimization of Federal Government’s assets through different strategies including concession, coupled with the additional responsibility that has been assigned to us in the PPP space through the Federal Government’s policy Circular on the Administration of Concession in Nigeria, is ready to collaborate with the service actively by offering its technical expertise and experience to ensure the successful execution and completion of the concession process for the projects”.
He commended the commitment and efforts of the CG and his team towards repositioning the NCoS into a strong, reliable and transformative institution through some of the laudable initiatives and projects being implemented by his leadership.
According to him, the feedback from the Bureau team’s interfacing with the NCoS on the level of professionalism, commitment and desire of the NCoS’ PPP Unit towards ensuring that some of the potential projects of the service across the different sectors of the economy, are developed and optimised by attracting private sector investment through a robust and transparent PPP process, have been encouraging.
The Director General further noted that the recent opening of responses to the Request for Qualifications (RfQ) issued by the Service for some of its projects, is a testimony to NCoS’ readiness and commitment to unlock values and optimize the potentials of those assets.
Responding to the Director General’s remarks, the Comptroller General, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General (DCG), Operations (Non-Custodial Duties), Mohammed Tukur, lauded the management of the Bureau for its support and guide for the success of its PPP projects which include relocation/infrastructure development, agricultural development and industrial projects.
Nababa recalled that the projects were dear to the NCoS as they would transform and strengthen the institutions of the NCoS because of their potentials to unlock value of the Service and the Federal Government at large.
He solicited the collaboration of the privatization agency in other areas that would add value to Service as the mandate of BPE cuts across all agencies in the country.
