Segun Atanda/
In a significant move towards economic reform, President Bola Tinubu has appointed Mr. Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi as the new Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). The announcement, made through an official press release from the State House, Abuja, highlights the administration’s commitment to fostering a competitive, private sector-driven economy.
Mr. Gbeleyi, a highly esteemed financial expert and award-winning chartered accountant, brings a wealth of experience to the role. He is a three-time prize winner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and holds fellowships at both ICAN and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). His extensive academic and executive training includes programs at globally recognized institutions such as the London Business School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Lagos Business School.
With over 30 years of post-qualification experience, Gbeleyi’s career spans various sectors, including manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), investment and commercial banking, project finance, telecommunications, infrastructure, and public administration. His notable previous roles include serving as the Board Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and as the Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State from 2013 to 2015.
The President expressed strong confidence in Gbeleyi’s ability to enhance the Bureau’s functions, leveraging his extensive expertise to promote a competitive private sector, ensure social accountability, efficiently deploy public resources, and advance corporate governance and fiduciary discipline in both the public and private sectors.
The Bureau of Public Enterprises, established under the Public Enterprises (Privatization and Commercialization) Act of 1999, is a pivotal agency in Nigeria’s economic landscape. Its core functions include facilitating the sale of government-owned enterprises to private investors, restructuring public enterprises to operate as profit-oriented entities, and promoting sectoral reforms to create a conducive environment for private sector growth. Additionally, the BPE provides technical and managerial advisory services to the government and enhances the skills of stakeholders involved in the reform process.
Since its inception, the BPE has played a crucial role in transitioning several key sectors from public to private management, fostering improved service delivery and economic growth. Gbeleyi’s appointment is expected to further this mission, reinforcing the agency’s role as a national resource center for capacity building and sustaining reforms.
This appointment marks a critical step in the administration’s ongoing efforts to drive economic development and strengthen public enterprise management in Nigeria.
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