Posted by By Emma Ujah & Luka Binniyat on
THE South African mobile telecommunication giants, MTN, and five others have been pencilled down by the Federal Government to buy over the moribund first National Carrier, Nigeria Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, Mobile Telecommunication Limited (M-TEL).
ABUJA - THE South African mobile telecommunication giants, MTN, and five others have been pencilled down by the Federal Government to buy over the moribund first National Carrier, Nigeria Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, Mobile Telecommunication Limited (M-TEL).
The name of MTN was released, weekend, alongside five other telecom companies which have shown interest in acquiring 51 per cent equity share in NITEL and M-TEL.
Spokesman for Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Joe Anichebe, in a statement named the other companies as Telkom/Vodakom Consortium, Huaweii/Jacuz Consortium, Orascom, Celtel and Newtel. He said all the short listed companies had been informed and would each pay $35,000 for access to the electronic data room.
The BPE had September and November last year advertised for Expression of Interest for investors in NITEL/M-TEL. At the close, 22 expressions were received.
The BPE said it had sent to prospective bidders pre-qualification procedure documents outlining the procedure, pre-qualification criteria and timeliness associated with pre-qualification process.
The BPE had on June 22 directed prospective bidders in NITEL to review their earlier submissions of Expressions of Interests (EOIs) to strengthen earlier submissions.
That decision, according to the bureau, followed the appraisal of the first set undertaken by the Privatisation Advisers in the sale of NITEL. "In this regard, the Bureau has sent to the prospective bidders pre-qualification procedure documents outlining the procedures, pre-qualification criteria and time-lines associated with the pre-qualification process," Mr. Anichebe said.