Shettima urges council to drive national prosperity

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged members of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to take an active role in unlocking the national prosperity that President Bola Tinubu’s administration strives to achieve.

Shettima made the appeal on Tuesday during the fourth meeting of the council held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Vice-President also called on the council members to focus on maximising value from the nation’s core assets for the benefit of Nigerians.

He emphasised that these assets are pivotal to the economic agenda of President Tinubu’s administration.

Shettima stressed the importance of the council providing constructive leadership for the country, warning that posterity would judge them kindly if they endeavoured to be fair to the citizens.

“The work of this council has never been more crucial, especially in the context of our current economic climate. Maximising value from our core national assets is a key pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda.

“As a council, we must play our part in unlocking the national prosperity that Mr President works tirelessly to achieve.

“Today’s agenda is comprehensive, covering significant post-privatisation issues and critical sectoral reforms that highlight the bureau’s and the council’s vital contributions towards achieving our national aspirations.

“I encourage council members to engage actively in today’s discussions. Posterity will judge us favourably if we act with fairness towards the Nigerian people.

“Our citizens need strong and decisive leadership, and the decisions we make today will be assessed in years to come,” Shettima stated.

Earlier, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, sought the NCP’s approval for the bureau’s proposed 2025 work plan.

According to him, the work plan prioritises revenue-generating projects and the strengthening of concession management capacity, among other objectives.

The Director-General also provided updates on the establishment of the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), aimed at enhancing grid management, transparency, and reliability.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the council received updates on the restructured Kano, Kaduna, Benin, and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Companies.

It was also briefed on orders issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission concerning the transfer of regulatory oversight for electricity markets in Edo, Enugu, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Oyo, and Ondo states.

Other updates presented during the meeting included operational progress at the Zungeru Hydropower Plant, as well as the Kainji and Jebba Hydroelectric Power Plants.

Additionally, the council discussed a proposal to relocate four turbines from the Afam Power Plant to the Ughelli Power Plant, all with the aim of boosting power supply to the national grid.