Business
Banks, Insurance Firms Investing Poorly In Housing – FMBN
The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), has said that banks and insurance companies have failed to make the required investment in the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme since the enactment of the Act .
Managing Director of FMBN, Ahmed Dangiwa, said this in his presentation at the office of the bank in Abuja, while playing host to the Senate Committee on Housing, recently.
The committee visited the bank as part of its oversight function on ministries , departments and agencies of government.
Dangiwa told his guests that the potential of the investment by banks and insurance firms in the fund was significant to addressing the financial housing needs across the country.
He said in 2016 alone, Deposit Money Banks had a combined loan of N15tn, which would have attracted not less than 50 per cent of N1.5tn investment in the NHF schemes as 10 per cent of the banks’ loan portfolio.
The mortgage bank boss further stated that only two states of the federation, Kano and Oyo, were yet to rejoin the NHF scheme by way of deductions and remittances required from the states’ local government employees.
Dangiwa said the bank intended to expand its NHF contributor base from the current five million by seeking the integration of the informal sector.
It said the bank would adopt strategic cooperative societies, which majority of the informal sector groups belong, as it would enable the bank to mobilise operators in that space and grant them access to FMBN’s products and services.
The FMBN boss also pleaded for the support of the National Assembly to revisit the bill for the N500bn recapitalisation of the bank .
He said in 2018, the National Assembly passed the bill to review the FMBN and NHF Acts respectively, adding that the President withheld assent to the bill in 2019.
He said: “The support of the Senate Committee is required for a review of the bills and further consultation and inputs from stakeholders to ensure the re-presentation of the bills for the president’s assent .
“One of the bills provides for a new capital structure for the bank and a new capital base of N500bn, which will improve corporate governance by inclusion of labour representatives on the board.
“It will also empower the bank to exercise the power to raise funds from the local and foreign capital markets”.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Sam Egwu, assured the bank that the National Assembly would support FMBN on the issue of compliance by banks and insurance companies.
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The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
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“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
CHINEDU WOSU
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