Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has invested N3.7 billion for the development of 1,434 housing units in Kwara State.
Richard Esin, acting CEO, FMBN, disclosed this at the commissioning of FMBN/Kam Abioye Housing Estate in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
According to Esin, in line with the mandate of the FMBN to be an effective and efficient instrument through which the Federal Government could actualise its housing policy, FMBN has impact in the housing sector of Kwara State since the inception of the National Housing Fund Scheme.
“FMBN has funded eight housing estates in Kwara with a total investment of about N3.7 billion for the development of 1,434 housing units, most of which have been fully completed.
“The development of FMBN/Kam Abioye Housing Estate is an affirmation of tangible achievements of the Federal Government in the area of the provision of affordable housing for all Nigerians,” he said.
He noted that the construction loan advanced by the bank to Messrs Kam-Abioye Nigeria Limited had delivered 250 housing units, comprising: 170 units of 3-bedroom detached bungalows, 40 units of 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalows and 40 units of 2-bedroom fully detached bungalows.
He assured the Kwara State government that FMBN remained committed to sustaining the fruitful partnership for the provision of affordable homeownership, just as he stressed that FMBN was collaborating with developers for large-scale housing delivery at city/district scale based on the National Housing Model driven by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
Earlier, Kamar Abioye, CEO, Kam Abioe Nigeria Limited, in his submission said the partnership of the industry and FMBN had been fruitful.
Abioye, while describing the infrastructure and facilities in the estate, said: “We have provided and completed installation of three industrial boreholes, with smaller pumps, ground tank and overhead tanks adequate to serve all the housing units in the estate. Other facilities include steady electricity supply, dedicated 500kv/33kv transformer, school and shopping mall.”
In his address, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, minister of state, power, works and housing, said the present administration under the leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari prioritised provision of affordable housing for the teaming Nigerians.
The Ministry of State for Power, Works and Housing, according to Shehuri, will continue to strive at meeting the challenges of housing deficit in Nigeria, which has been put at 16-17 million units. The ministry plans to build several houses in every state of the federation for public workers under public private partnership.
He said: “National Housing Models have been designed and approved for each geo-political zone. In line with the present administration’s vision of standardising building materials to boost local content by encouraging our artisan and craftsmen as well as creation of employment.’
He called on all Nigerian workers, both in public and private employment, including self-employed, to ensure that they contribute to the National Housing Fund so that collectively we can assist Nigerians in owing houses.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
