By Ali Rabiu Ali, Dutse
The Jigawa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to expand homeownership opportunities for public servants through affordable mortgage financing.
The State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Muhammad K. Dagaceri, gave the assurance on Thursday while receiving the Group Head of Loans and Mortgage of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji Nuradeen Yakubu, during a courtesy visit to his office in Dutse.
Dagaceri said the state government was implementing an ambitious housing programme aimed at providing affordable homes for low- and middle-income earners, especially civil servants.
According to him, the government is constructing 1,500 housing units in three phases, with the first phase of 500 houses already completed, while the second phase comprising 600 units has reached about 80 per cent completion. He added that the remaining houses would be delivered in the final phase of the project.
The Head of Civil Service said the partnership with FMBN would enable more workers to access affordable mortgage facilities, making homeownership easier for beneficiaries.
Speaking earlier, the Group Head of Loans and Mortgage at FMBN, Alhaji Nuradeen Yakubu, reaffirmed the bank’s readiness to sustain its collaboration with the Jigawa State Government in providing affordable mortgage loans to eligible workers.
Yakubu explained that the visit was a follow-up to the meeting held between the Head of Civil Service and the management of the bank at its headquarters in April this year.
He assured the state government of the bank’s continued support in ensuring that civil servants benefit from flexible mortgage financing schemes designed to make housing more accessible.
The FMBN official also expressed satisfaction with the quality of houses under construction after inspecting the Danmodi Housing Scheme in Fanisau, Dutse, describing the project as a significant step towards addressing workers’ housing needs in the state.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Lands, Housing, Urban Development and Regional Planning, Alhaji Ahmed Kaugama; Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Special Services and Council Affairs, Alhaji Abba Mustapha Yola; Managing Director of Savings and Loan, Babandi Isah Gumel; the Acting General Manager of the Housing Authority, as well as other senior government officials.
