In another landmark move to boost housing development in the country, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in conjunction with the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) have finalized plans to commence the implementation of a National Affordable Housing Delivery Program for Nigerian workers.
The housing scheme is a product of a strategic collaboration between FMBN and the country’s leading labor unions towards gradually addressing in a structured and sustainable manner the housing requirement of their members currently estimated to be about 3,750,000 housing units.
This includes fast-tracking the provision of safe, decent, quality and affordable housing to registered members of NLC, TUC, and NECA that also contribute to the National Housing Fund (NHF), which the FMBN manages.
The pilot phase of the program aims to deliver 2,800 housing units in fourteen (14) sites across the country. This includes 200 houses in each of the six zones in addition to Lagos and Abuja.
The Groundbreaking ceremony of the project is scheduled for September at the 100-unit housing estate for Voice of Nigeria (VoN) in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
This will be followed by successive launches of the program in two states: Yola, Adamawa and Umuahia in Abia.
Group Head, Corporate Communications, FMBN, Mrs. Zubaida Umar said, the key features of the housing program are the emphasis on affordability and the focus on low and middle-income classes of workers. Planned house types therefore include fully finished semi-detached bungalows and blocks of Editor bedroom, two bedrooms, and three bedrooms.
“The designs of the houses are based on local and international social housing models that have been tested and proven to deliver housing units that are structurally strong, livable and at cost effective rates that fit the income of the targeted beneficiaries.
“To ensure successful execution of the program, the design and implementation plan was based on extensive deliberations and recommendation of housing experts. They drew from the theoretical and practical experiences of housing stakeholders, varied inputs, and consultations with developers, private sector players, research and analysis of housing projects locally and abroad,” she said.