Musa Dikko, Chairnan, Bwari Area Council, FCT has urged the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to embark on effective enlightenment programme to improve the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme.
Dikko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, that the bank needed to do more sensitisation on the scheme, especially on its Home Renovation Loan (HRL) programme, for the interest of the contributors.
NAN reports that the FMBN, FCT branch on March 23, 2017 disbursed N27.6m loan to the first batch of 29 civil servants in the council who benefited from the HRL scheme.
Another batch of 49 beneficiaries have been approved by the bank but yet to get access the loan.
Dikko, who described the HRL as a unique programme noted that many people neither took the loan serious nor believed in it at the local council, ‘’maybe because of the antecedent of the past.’’
He, however, urged the staff of the council and others in FCT to see HRL as one that had to do with their future and as such begin to contribute effectively.
“We want to urge the NHF managers to be more effective, to come out with the programme of enlightenment that will enable others to partake.
“Members of staff of the council who have endured the pain and process of contributing to the NHF are beneficiaries of the programme.
The chairman assured that the council would ensure that remittance that had to do with the contribution was done periodically.
“It has to do with one’s future and should be taken seriously”.
Dikko noted that there was serious housing deficiency, adding that per cent because only 25 per cent of residents of Bwari area had actually been accommodated as per housing programmes.
“There is no other reason than linking it to the Master Plan of the FCT.
“Bwari area council is not in the master plan of mass production of houses or government programmes in terms of mass housing.
According to him, there is a need for government to commence mass housing in the council which is a gateway to the FCT, so that civil servants can have shelter over their heads.
The HRL which is specifically designed for NHF contributors who desire to improve existing property, owned by them, is introduced by the FMBN to ensure that more contributors benefit from the scheme.
The HRL affords Nigerians opportunity to access mortgage loans of N1 million for renovation or improvement of their existing homes.
NHF scheme was established in 1992 to address the constraints to the mobilisation of long term funds for housing finance and ensure that every Nigerian has access to housing loans.
