FMBN to provide 430 homes for workers in Nasarawa
Omeiza Bilal
In a significant step towards advancing homeownership for Nigerian workers, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is financing the delivery of 430 housing units in Nasarawa State, under the first phase of the Bank’s Affordable Workers’ Housing Scheme.
Performing the groundbreaking ceremony in Lafia, the State Capital on Thursday, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, described the project as a deliberate intervention aimed at providing affordable and accessible housing to low-and middle-income workers in the State.
“This project signifies a deliberate effort to provide affordable and accessible housing to Nigerian workers, especially our civil servants and low- to middle-income earners in Nasarawa State,” Governor Sule said.
“It is a strong demonstration of what strategic partnerships can achieve,” he added.
The Governor commended the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FMBN, Shehu Usman Osidi, and the Bank’s management for walking the journey with Nasarawa State and sustaining affordable housing delivery in the State.
In his address, Shehu Osidi said the 430-unit project represents another milestone in FMBN’s mission to reduce Nigeria’s housing deficit by ensuring that contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme can access affordable mortgage financing.
“Today’s event is not just the commencement of a housing project; it is a celebration of visionary leadership, productive partnership, and our shared commitment to improving the quality of life of Nasarawa people,” Osidi stated.
The Chief Executive noted that the project represents a strategic collaboration between FMBN, which is providing construction finance; the Nasarawa State Government, which provided the land; and organised labour, which will mobilise qualified contributors as offtakers. The partnership, he explained, is deliberately structured to ensure that Nigerian workers who faithfully contribute to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme can finally become homeowners.
He disclosed that the housing units would be delivered across four strategically selected locations spanning the three senatorial zones of the State to ensure inclusive development and broad-based access.
“In this current phase, over 430 housing units have been carefully planned to be delivered,” he stated, adding that the 430 units are in addition to the 1,590 housing units already financed by FMBN within Nasarawa State, further demonstrating the Bank’s sustained commitment to reducing the housing deficit and improving living standards.
Osidi further highlighted that beyond construction financing, the Bank has disbursed over ₦9.4 Billion in Home Renovation Loans to 10,601 civil servants in the State, while more than ₦1.02 Billion has been refunded to 5,462 retirees under the NHF Scheme.
“We are fully committed to ensuring speedy and quality delivery of this project. Our goal is simple; we want His Excellency to return here very soon, not for any other ceremony but to commission completed homes for Nasarawa people,” Osidi assured.
The FMBN Chief Executive also noted that the project aligns with the housing vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing that the Bank remains a central driver of mass housing delivery nationwide.
In attendance were top dignitaries including the Bank’s Executive Directors of Loans and Mortgage Services, Hon. Dr. Muhammad Sani Abdu, and of Business Development and Portfolio Management, Mrs. Chinenye Chinedu Anosike, the Emir of Lafia, Justice (rtd) Sidi Muhammad Bage, who was represented by the Aren Eggon, Justice (rtd) Ahmed Ubangari Alaku, the Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Mark Chieshe, representatives of labour unions – Mahmoud Othman of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Comr. Benson Upah of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comr. Nuhu Toro of the Trade Union Congress and a host of other key stakeholders.
The FMBN Affordable Workers Housing Scheme in Lafia is expected to stimulate economic activities, generate employment and significantly expand access to affordable homeownership for workers in Nasarawa State, further reinforcing FMBN’s position as Nigeria’s leading public mortgage institution.
