Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has called on the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to construct at least 1,000 housing units in each state of the federation to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit.
Governor Nwifuru made the call on Wednesday when he received a delegation of the FMBN, led by its Executive Director, Ms. Chinenye Chinedu Anosike, at his office in Ochudo Centenary City, Abakaliki.
The governor also urged state governments to complement the Federal Government’s efforts by providing an additional 1,000 housing units in their respective states.
Nwifuru said housing remained a critical component of meaningful development, stressing that access to decent shelter was essential to improving the welfare of citizens.
“We are talking about practical development. Whatever you do without housing, it means there is no practical development because shelter is important,” he said.
The governor said his administration had made significant progress in housing development and was planning the construction of an additional 600 duplex units.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to providing more than 1,000 housing units before the end of his tenure.
Nwifuru also commended the FMBN for its contribution to the development of the housing sector and expressed the state government’s readiness to collaborate with the bank.
Earlier, the FMBN Executive Director, Chinenye Anosike, said the delegation was in Ebonyi to explore a partnership with the state government for the development of a housing estate for residents, particularly workers.
Anosike disclosed that the proposed Ebonyi Housing Estate was expected to provide about 800 housing units for the state’s workforce.
She explained that the project would be implemented through a public-private partnership, with the Ebonyi State Government expected to provide the necessary on-site and off-site infrastructure as well as unencumbered land for the development.
The proposed partnership is aimed at expanding access to affordable housing and addressing the accommodation needs of workers and other residents across Ebonyi State.
