Ms Irene Nkechi Chigbue

Former Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises

Date of Birth: 07/12/1954
Place of Birth: Umuadia, Inetiti

Married to Dr M.D. Chigbue, three children.

Education: BA, Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1977; LLB, Kings College, London, UK, 1979-82; LLM, Kings College, 1982-83; BL, Nigeria Law School, 1983-84.

Career: Senior Supervisor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Benin Branch, 1977-78; External Affairs Officer, Federal Ministry of External Affairs, 1978-79; Attorney, Kehinde Sofola and Co; Managing Partner, Chigbue and Chigbue & Co, 1985-88; Legal Officer, Technical Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation (TCPC), 1989-91; Principal Executive, TCPC, 1991-92; Deputy Director and Head of Legal and Secretariat Department, TPCP; Director, Legal Services, TCPC, 2000; Director, Infrastructure and Networks, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), 2003-4; Director General, BPE, 2005-09.

Commentary: Chigbue's term as Director General of the Bureau of Privatisation Enterprise (BPE) was controversial. There were allegations that state-owned telecoms company NITEL, national aluminium company ALSCOM, and state-owned newspaper the Daily Times, were sold at low prices to politically connected insiders.  She was replaced by Dr Christopher Anyanwu in 2009.