Nigeria lists nine operator-managers for Nitel

Privatisation agency produces shortlist, including China Netcom-ZTE, Keppel T&T, Pentascope, Sask Tel and BT Teleconsult. Nigeria said on Wednesday it had shortlisted nine of the 14 international telecoms companies that placed bids for the management contract of national telephone carrier Nitel.Nigeria s privatisation agency, the Bureau of Public Enterprises said in a statement that the shorlisted operators include China Netcom-ZTE Consortium, Keppel T & T of Singapore, Dutch-based Pentascope, Sask Tel International of Canada and UK-based BT Teleconsult.

The statement said U.S.-based Africa Access/Lucent Technologies, Telenor management partner AS and Swedtel AB, a joint venture between Norwegian and Swedish companies and TCIL Bhawan and BNSL of India, also made the shortlist.Also shortlisted is Portugal Telecom unit Tecnologia das Communicacoes (TDC), which partnered Investors International (London) Ltd in a failed $1.

3 billion bid for the tottering utility in March.According to a revised timetable of transaction, the nine operators are expected to submit their bids for Nitel on October 15, while the evaluation of bids will end on October 22, the date also set aside for the notification of the chosen bidder."The management contract is expected to be completed by the end of October," the statement said.

"The thinking is that under a new competent management... Nitel will be able to embark on a new expansion programme, enabling it to generate profits."Nigeria sees the appointment of an operator-manager as crucial to the planned flotation of 20 percent of Nitel shares on the Lagos stock exchange, following the suspension of efforts to find a core investor to buy a majority holding.

Nigeria invited international bids for the management of Nitel for a duration of two or three years, after the deal to sell the debt-ridden telephone utility to IILL collapsed in March.In July, the privatisation agency said 14 operators had expressed interest in managing the national carrier at the end of a June 28 extended deadline.