22nd January, 2021
By Muhaimin Olowoporoku
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed has backed Federal Government’s plans to sell moribund public assets.
The minister in an interview with Channels TV said the planned sales would benefit Nigerians and boost the economy.
Zainab Ahmad who also serves as the Minister of Budget and National Planning noted that certain government properties are moribund and provide little or no value to Nigerians.
“There are some government assets that are dead that can be sold to the private sector to be reactivated and put to use for the benefit of Nigerians,” the Minister said.
“We are looking at different categories of government assets that government has not been able to manage, that are lying down and in some cases even completely rundown, to cede them off to the private sector”, she said.
Zainab Ahmed said it is not all about selling the assets but reactivating them to contribute to economic growth.
“The intention is not just funding the budget, it is to reactivate these assets and hand it over and have them bring contributions to the growth in the economy.”
She added that the Bureau of Public Enterprises will begin to coordinate with other arms of government on the asset sales in the first quarter of the year.
Zainab is also a member of the National Council on Privatisation, which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chairs.