Daily Independent (Lagos)
Emma Okonji
8 February 2010
Lagos — The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), will on Tuesday next week, commence the opening of financial bids for six out of the 14 pre-qualified consortia that met the deadline for the submission of the technical and financial proposals for the privatisation of NITEL/M-Tel.
The six successful bidders are Brymedia (WA) Ltd; AF21/ Spectrum Consortium; MTN Nigeria Communication Ltd; Globacom Nigeria Ltd; Omen International Ltd (BVI); and New Generation Telecommunications Ltd (formerly Telefonica Consortium)
The deadline for the submission of technical and financial proposals was February 5, 2010. Fourteen prospective investors undertook virtual data room on NITEL and M-tel. The investors were MTN Nigeria Communication Ltd; Etisalat Nigeria ; Brymedia (WA) Ltd; Finetek.com/Ericsson consortium; Omen International Ltd (BVI); Fugar Technologies and MTI Consortium. Others are Telefonica Consortium; Globacom Nigeria Ltd; Conau Ltd; Dansacom Technologies Ltd; Adison Consulting; AF21/ Spectrum Consortium and Foneama.com.
The advertisement for expressions of interest (EoI) from prospective investors for the acquisition of at least 75 per cent equity in NITEL was published locally and internationally in July 2009.
According BPE spokesman, Joe Anichebe, the 14 consortia that were pre-qualified paid a non-refundable fee of $25, 000 for access to the data room and bidding documents and executed the confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as part of the evaluation of the prospective bidders, conducted a 'fit and proper' test on each bidding consortium to participate in the bidding exercise.
In the advertisement, prospective investors were invited to apply to acquire either at least 75 per cent equity in the entire NITEL conglomerate or a stake in one or several of its components, namely, SAT-3; domestic fixed line telephony; national fibre-optic transmission backbone; CDMA network; and MTEL (GSM).
The advertisement noted that preference would be given to bidders, who desire to acquire NITEL fixed lines, transmission backbone, M-Tel and SAT-3 components together while those bidding separately for M-Tel must be ready to make necessary investments to detach M-Tel from the NITEL networks.
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