Business

FMB, Estate Developers Sign $2bn Housing Deal

Published

9 years ago

January 20, 2017

The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), SHELTER AFRIQUE and Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), have signed a two billion dollar Memorandum of Understanding to provide affordable housing for Nigerians.
Signing the MoU on Thursday in Abuja, Mr Richard Esin , the Acting Managing Director of FMBN, said the MoU was the first critical journey aimed at providing affordable housing for citizens.
The managing director added that the move was in line with the Federal Government’s agenda to encourage home ownership in the sector.
He said the bank had been able to create about 734 mortgages using about N5.4 billion.
Esin said that the FMBN, SHELTER AFRIQUE and REDAN met to explore the opportunity that would come with the launch of the National Housing Model.
“In the meeting we agreed that we needed to bring in SHELTER AFRIQUE to work in partnership with the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria to make available some funds over the next 10 years to give impetus to the national housing model.
” By providing other members with the necessary construction finance that will be required to drive the national housing model,’’ he said.
The acting director said that the FCMB has agreed on the housing design and pricing, adding that it would be their responsibility to give confidence, by committing to providing the mortgage financing required.
He said that they have the understanding that the Nigerian market would not require anything less than $200 million annually over the next 10 years for this purpose.
“With $200 million annually into construction finance, I am sure we can generate up to eight to 10, 000 housing units annually,’’ he said.
Esin said that this scheme would create job opportunities, adding that at least 150 jobs would be generated in the activity.
The President, REDAN, Mr Ugochukwu Chime said that one of the covenant of the MoU being signed was an opportunity to get the stock market and regular format that would enable the use of naira instead of dollar
”One of the covenant of the MoU being signed was an opportunity to get the stock market and regular format that will enable us to have a naira denominated facility SHELTER AFRIQUE rather than the dollar facility’’.
He said that the MoU would promote team work, adding that it was impossible for them in REDAN to move forward without considering the skills of all those involved in housing sector.
Chime said that they have met with many artisans to see how they could contribute their quota in the delivery of affordable housing, adding that many artisans were currently undergoing training.
He called for the total recapitalisation of the FMBN, adding that over the years FMBN has being limited in their ability to deliver in their mandate because of poor capitalisation.
Also speaking, the Managing Director, Company for Habitat and Housing in Africa(SHELTER AFRIQUE), Mr James Mugerwa, said that the MoU would herald a new chapter in Nigeria’s housing sector.
He said that the MoU, also heralds provision of end- to-end solutions to the housing demand and supply challenges currently facing the country.
He said that the MoU paves the way for to SHELTER AFRIQUE to renew its support to members of REDAN on the supply side of the housing chain.
According to him, with a supply backlog estimated at over 17 million housing units, Nigeria, like other African countries requires significant investments in the housing sector.
”With more than three decades of involvement in the housing sector across Africa, SHELTER AFRIQUE is uniquely positioned to partner with REDAN and FMBN.
”In designing and providing housing and construction finance solutions to support provision of decent and affordable housing to a wider cross-section of the Nigerian population,’’ he said.
He said that it was the aspiration of SHELTER AFRIQUE that all the parties involved would commit and dedicate all their expertise and resources to ensure that good quality housing and affordability remains two key considerations in all collaboration opportunity.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

5 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

5 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.