The director-general of Bureau for Public Enterprises, Mrs Irene Chigbue said the bureau, in collaboration with the relevant agencies were working to resolve the problem associated with privatisation and commercialisation. Mrs Chigbue stated this while addressing newsmen at the ministerial news briefing in Abuja.

She said the privatisation and commercialisation programme of the federal government started in 1985 but was revitalised in 1999 when a famous president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the national council on privatisation. The aim is to open ways for full participation and create competition, proficiency and better possibility.

The director-general said the bureau had so far privatised about 61 companies to qualify investors with proper monitoring. He said in cases of non-performance, necessary steps are to be taken to correct the abnormalities.

Also speaking, the minister of Information and Communication, Mr. John Odey said privatisation impacted greatly on the capital market and was a source of revenue to the federal government.

The bureau is to privatise the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, the Nigerian Television Authority, the News Agency of Nigeria and Nigeria Film Corporation in the next phase of the exercise.