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Housing : FG grants 0% equity loans not exceeding N5m to civil servants

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The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, Has been mandated to grant 0% equity for loans not exceeding N5 million to the Federal civil servants.
Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, revealed this while speaking at the 7th National Council on Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, in Gombe, the Gombe State capital also announced a reduction of equity from 20% to 10% for loans up to N6 – 15million. Fashola, who said the mandate of the FMBN was not only by re-capitalisation, said, “As for those who wish to buy houses, mortgages are the solution and we must issue more.”He said, ”This is in addition to a planned re-capitalisation and the opening of the National Housing Fund (NHF) to non-Government employees. “Between May 2015 and July 10, 2018 the FMBN has issued 3,862 mortgages to Nigerians to acquire their own homes. “But this is not all that is happening or can happen in the Economy with an appropriate commitment to Housing.” The minister, while speaking further at the National Council on housing with theme, “Why Housing Can and Should be the Catalyst for Development and Sustainable Economic Growth”, said President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to make housing affordable to Nigerians. According to him, “Once again, the President has asked me to thank all those Governors who gave us land. Because of them, we are able to employ, averagely, a thousand people at each of those sites, and this is only for the pilot stage.
“If you have been involved as I have been, you will know that the people employed at housing sites are Builders, Welders, Carpenters, Electricians, Bricklayers, Water and Food Vendors, and other suppliers along with Labourers. “They are the people who are largely paid on a daily basis, weekly or  monthly basis. “These are some of the most vulnerable people in our economy as they are in other economies. Whenever Government can reach these people and provide work for them, you know that such an economy is working. “President Buhari has reached these people. I have met them and we need to do more by multiplying the Housing commitment. “But beyond building houses, there is the problem of affordability and definition.
“It seems to me that whether it is to buy or to rent, affordability will always be an issue. But we must start by making clear to our people that not everyone can afford to buy or own a house, but it is ideal to at least seek to shelter everybody who has a job, by rental which is affordable. “The question therefore is that after we have provided work for these vulnerable people, which pays them weekly or monthly in arrears, is it affordable for them when they seek to rent houses, and we ask them to pay one or two years rent in advance. “This is not Government, this is us, the landlords, and we can change this by accepting monthly rent in arrears secured with their employer’s guarantee. “If this happens, we will see how housing will catalyse our economy. When my rent is matched to my income, you and I will be witnesses to a release and relief of millions of people who seek help to pay their rent even though they have a job.

“As for those who wish to buy houses, mortgages are the solution and we must issue more.” Vanguard

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