Business

FMBN offers Oyo Govt N2bn Housing Loan

Published

15 years ago

July 15, 2011

Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has offered a housing loan of N2 billion to the Oyo State Government under the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme.

Mr. Gimba Ya’u Kumo, managing director/chief executive officer of FMBN, disclosed this in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, when the management of the bank paid the governor a courtesy visit yesterday.

The bank’s team led by the Chairman of the board of directors, Alhaji Deda Atta, used the opportunity to congratulate the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on his election victory at the governorship polls held on April 14, 2011.

Atta said that the expectations of the people of Oyo State were high, that the governor will do well and noted that he is confident that the governor will not fail them, going by his antecedents in the private sector of Nigeria’s economy.

Kumo noted that Ibadan is one of the biggest cities in Africa and because of its housing deficit, the housing situation in the state requires drastic attention, which is why the “Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria is offering the Oyo State Government a N2 billion facility to construct housing estates in the state”.

He envisaged that the loan facility can finance the state government’s proposed Ajoda Housing Estate in partnership with Coop Building Society Limited, or any other estate developer of the State Government’s choice.

The FMBN managing director explained that the National Housing Fund (NHF) is a mandatory savings scheme for Nigerian workers from which they can access mortgage loans at low interest rates to build, buy or renovate residential houses in any part of the country.

He added that under the NHF scheme, the FMBN has registered 60,659 NHF contributors in Oyo State and these contributors have made a total of N536 million contribution to the scheme. Kumo said the Bank has refunded N31.5 million to the state contributors who have retired from service.

The bank has also invested a total of N730 million in Oyo State through an Estate Development Loan of N400 million for construction of 216 housing units by a private estate developer, Tola Tos Nigeria Limited, and mortgage loans of N330 million to Coop Building Society Limited (as housing loans to 217 contributors under the NHF scheme). It is indeed on record that Coop “The second stage should be a stage of taking decision and making a choice, knowing about the issues, product.

“Having known about all of them, we might come to the conclusion we want to consume all aspects of non interest banking or part of them,’’ he said.

Nwankwo, however, said decisions should be taken considering the environmental factors in the country, adding that government’s action must focus on the technical realities of the economy.

The realities, he said, involved political considerations and experience concerning the various reforms in banking and financing over the past 20 years.

“The realities of experience include the banking sector, community banking, micro finance banking and indeed the realities of what is currently happening in the banking sector, repositioning, restructuring of the banking sector.

“All these and the realities of what has happened in the capital market in recent days in Nigeria and the implications on the volatilities in the banking sector are also to be noted.

“These are the entire contest that will help us having known what non- interest banking is and to take a decision of the way forward,’’ he said.

Nwankwo said all these considerations must be analysed before moving to the implementation stage, adding that following these processes would enhance effective implementation of the initiative.

“ We should be open minded about moving forward and the easiest way is for all us to commit to ourselves that there is nothing wrong in having full knowledge of this type of funding,’’ he said.

Business

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

Published

4 hours 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

4 hours 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

5 days 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.