Posted by Everest Amaefule, Abuja on
There were indications at the weekend that the Bureau of Public Enterprises may disqualify two Chinese equipment vendors from bidding for 51 per cent stake in the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited.
There were indications at the weekend that the Bureau of Public Enterprises may disqualify two Chinese equipment vendors from bidding for 51 per cent stake in the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited.
The two Chinese firms are among the 21 companies that had expressed interest to acquire majority shares in the nation's first national telecoms carrier by the January 28, deadline given by BPE.
But the Chinese firms which are major equipment vendors to NITEL and its subsidiary, the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited, have never been telecoms operators, but suppliers, BPE sources said at the weekend.
Our correspondent learnt that officials of BPE and its financial advisers for the NITEL transaction, BNP Paribas, had taken a stand against potential investors that have never operated a telecommunications network.
BPE had recently indicated that BNP Paribas was screening the 21 firms that expressed interest to acquire NITEL. The exercise was planned to be concluded last Wednesday.
Apart from the Chinese firms, other firms jostling for NITEL include CelTel International B.V., New Tel International, Metallon Corporation of South Africa, Dimension Data and Tel Africa Group of United Kingdom.
Others are ACME Global/General Dynamic of United States and Meridian Global Telecom, U.K. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited of India, MTN Nigeria Limited, Vodafone Group Services Limited, and Trigger Development Limited of the United Kingdom.
Suburban Telecom, Orascom Telecom, Universal Link Inc., Telkom South Africa in alliance with Vodacom, Global Infrastructure Holdings Limited (Dubai), F.T. Networks Limited, Harthill Finance, Singapore and Multimesh Communication Limited, also expressed interest.
Although British Telecom was not among the 21 companies that expressed interest in NITEL, our correspondent learnt that it was working with one of the local telecoms that expressed interest in the process, Suburban Telecom.
If all non-telecoms network operators are eliminated from the list, Dimension Data, a South African system integrator that announced the acquisition of a Nigerian firm, Roe Limited last week, Harthill Finance and Metallon Corporation of South Africa, may also not make the final short list which is expected to be made public on Monday (today).
BPE spokesman, Mr. Joe Anichebe, confirmed that the privatisation agency was doing everything possible to ensure that only viable operators were given the opportunity to buy NITEL.
However, he indicated that a equipment vendor might be given the opportunity to sign Memorandum of Understanding with telecoms operators rather than buy networks.
Similarly, he said, telecoms operators who were not considered financially vibrant to buy NITEL, may be asked to obtain guarantees from banks.
The Punch, Monday, June 06, 2005