Gov Kashim and housing development

As Zonal Coordinator North East from 2004- 2007 we reached out to government officials, NLC and influential individuals to prevail on the Chief Executive and Labour leaders but met brick walls.  We organized sensitization workshops to stakeholders but all to no avail.  We hopelessly and painfully watched other states ripe the benefit of the scheme. […]

As Zonal Coordinator North East from 2004- 2007 we reached out to government officials, NLC and influential individuals to prevail on the Chief Executive and Labour leaders but met brick walls.  We organized sensitization workshops to stakeholders but all to no avail.  We hopelessly and painfully watched other states ripe the benefit of the scheme.
Virtually all the states of the federation have benefitted from NHF. In the North East, the following states have either through their Housing Corporations or Estate Developers built or have on-going housing projects financed through NHF: Adamawa: 493 houses, Yobe State: 1056 houses, Bauchi: 2159 houses, Gombe: 2340 houses and Taraba 278 houses.  It was reported that as at March 2013, the Bank has disbursed over N100billion under the NHF window to over 73,676 contributors.  Sadly Borno has lost out. 
Workers in Borno state service have also missed the opportunity of compulsory savings offered by the NHF scheme for which contributors are refunded on exit from service.
Now that the state has joined the scheme, I wish to use this forum to offer His Excellency, Gov Kashim the following advices:
1.Set up a State owned Primary Mortgage Institution (PMI).  It is the conduit through which contributors would access the NHF loan.  The Federal Government is contemplating of setting up a Mortgage Refinance Company, which may be used to partially capitalize the PMIs. PMIs may benefit from the long anticipated mortgage intervention fund expected from CBN. Borno should not stay aloof.
2. The state government can sale off its houses/estates to NHF contributors.  FMBN will pay off front for interested contributors and the funds can be reinvested (seed funding) into more housing projects in the state.
3. The Governor can identify and empower indigenous businessmen/women interested in estate development to access loan from the bank for the purpose housing development.  The state should facilitate the provision of suitable land and infrastructure to such developers.
4. The state must key in to the Federal Government’s mass housing project without delay.
5. The state can partner with NGOs like Shelter Afrique, UN Habitat and other local ones to help the state develop its housing sector.
6. It is in the interest of the state to free and liberalize land ownership.  The difficulty in obtaining title deed has a setback on housing development, mortgage and business in general.
Finally, I urge his Excellency to please be proactive and key into the programmes of Federal Government/International donors especially in the areas of education, health, agriculture and housing for the benefit the state. 
M. B. Sabo, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, [email protected]