From Uche Usim, Abuja
The journey to concession the Calabar and Kano Free Trade Zones (FTZs) has recordedc recorded a milestone as three firms have been pre-qualified and issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the deal.
They include Diamond Stripes Consortium, BUA International Limited and Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company Limited for Calabar Free Trade Zone and Diamond Stripes Consortium, Urban Shelter Infrastructure Limited and BUA International Limited for Kano Free Trade Zone.
The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex A. Okoh, who announced their qualification at the bidders pre-bid conference for the concession of the two FTZs in Abuja on Monday, said the bidders are expected to submit their proposals on or before December 2, 2022.
“Thereafter the technical proposals will be publicly opened the same day and evaluated subsequently. The bidders are also expected to submit, along with their proposals, the draft Concession Agreement that has been reviewed or tracked with each page signed or initialed”, he said. Okoh said that the pre-bid conference is a continuation of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to diversify the country’s economy and fast-track its industrialisation by unlocking the potentials of the two FTZs to transform them into world class facilities through the injection of private sector capital and technical capacity.
“Specifically, the purpose of this meeting is to engage with the prospective bidders, financing institutions and contractors, to elicit discussions and address key concerns with respect to the transactions. We also seek to use this event to provide clarifications on vital issues around the bid documents which we believe should allow bidders to better contextualise and understand the bidding process and prerequisites”, he added.
While stating the vital roles of FTZs to the economic growth and development of several countries in Southeast Asia and southern America particularly China, India, Brazil and Mexico, including some African Countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, the Director General noted that these countries have leveraged on SEZs to fast-track industrialisation, diversify their economies, create jobs, and generate Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).