By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA: In a move to address the problem of housing deficit facing the nation, the Federal Government has asked   Nigerians, especially those in the informal sector to form cooperatives societies so as to make it easier for them to access loans and houses.

The Managing Director, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, Gimba Ya’u Kumo who said this while receiving the Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke in his office, assured that the government will commence action to ensure availability of houses as soon as the corporatives are formed.

According to him, “the government has gone far, we are at the stage of launching the three hundred housing units in Lagos. We want all Nigerians to benefit from this scheme, employed and unemployed alike, we know what housing means to humanity so we are putting all effort into providing affordable houses.

”Presently, we have a desk in the 36 states of the federation, and other eight zones including the FMBN Headquarters which means we have over forty desks for the public to reach out to.   All they need to do is go to any FMBN office in the country ask for the desk in charge of housing corporative registration and get the information they need.

In his remarks earlier, Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke said he has come to strengthen the relationship between the state and the FMBN and developers in providing affordable houses for Cross Riverians.

Imoke added that “so far the state has become a model to other states in the provision of houses, the present housing model is the first that has so far been delivered since the 1970s, the state government has provided infrastructure at low prices for the first two hundred housing units.

Civil Servants in Cross River State he said have been following due process in contributing to the federal housing scheme, while the state government has done its part by providing affordable houses for them, thereby assuring them that their contributions are not in vain. We are equally working out modalities to provide houses for informal sectors as well.