BY YINKA KOLAWOLE

Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is wooing Ekiti State government to return to the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme, fourteen years after it pulled out. The state pulled out from the scheme in 1999 due to some misunderstandings and misconceptions about the scheme.

FMBN Board of Directors led by its Chairman, Chief Bisi Ogunjobi, on a recent visit to the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof Modupe Adelabu, in Ado-Ekiti, urged the state government to return to the sbecause of its potential benefits in making housing accessible to the people of the state.

Ogunjobi said the FMBN delegation was on an advocacy visit to the state to sensitise the government on the benefits of participating in the NHF scheme with regards to housing development.  He noted that the bank had in the past given the state N500 million estate development loan (EDL) through Shelter View for construction of 220 housing units and another N197 million NHF loan.

Another benefit the state stands to enjoy by rejoining the scheme, according to Ogunjobi, is access to N800 million loan facility already approved by the bank for Ekiti State Housing Investment Corporation. also appealed to the state government on issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to the land acquired by FMBN for the construction of its office complex in the state.

He said the bank has rebranded and expanded to accommodate more contributors, the hope that the visit will lead to the resolution of all the knotty issues between the parties. “It is hoped that the state government will commence deduction and remittance of NHF contributions to FMBN,” he said, adding that this will enable contributors the fund and also help the government consolidate the ongoing infrastructure development of the state.

In her remarks, Adelabu who stood in for Governor Kayode Fayemi, noted that the state government’s development plan to build two housing estates in each of the senatorial in the state will require partnership with organisations such as FMBN.