FMBN, labour unions target workers in new affordable housing programme

Worried by the ‘homelessness’ of Nigeria workers due to their inability to buy what is on offer on the housing market, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), in conjunction with leading labour unions—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 programme for the workers.

The housing programme emphasizes affordability and focuses on low and middle-income classes of workers. Planned house-types include fully finished semi-detached bungalows and blocks of 1-bedroom, 2-bedrooms, and 3-bedrooms apartments.

The design 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 programme, the design and implementation plan is based on extensive deliberations and recommendations of housing experts who 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.

A statement obtained by BusinessDay in Lagos notes that the housing programme, which is another landmark move by the apex mortgage bank to boost housing development in the country, is a product of a strategic move towards gradually addressing, in a structured and sustainable manner, the housing requirement of workers currently estimated at 3,750,000 housing units.

The programme encompasses fast-tracking the provision of safe, decent, quality and affordable housing to registered members of NLC, TUC, and NECA who contribute to the National Housing Fund (NHF), which the FMBN manages.

The pilot phase of the programme aims to deliver 2,800 housing units in 14 sites across the country. This includes 200 houses in each of the six zones in addition to Lagos and Abuja.

The groundbreaking for the project takes place in September at the 100-unit housing estate for Voice of Nigeria (VoN) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. That is to be followed by successive launches of the program in two states: Yola, Adamawa and Umuahia in Abia.