FROM ISAAC ANUMIHE, ABUJA
Following the 17 million housing deficit in the country, the Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Gimba Ya’u Kumo, has assured that the bank would vigorously pursue the completion of Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Estate in Kaba District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the completion of ongoing housing estate projects under the Ministerial Pilot Housing Scheme nationwide.
Speaking when the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, inaugurated the new board of FMBN in Abuja, yesterday, Kumo, whose appointment was renewed, promised that the team would recapitalise the bank and improve the balance sheet structure to modify its standing as a financial institution, saying the team would also work proactively to attract offshore funding for affordable housing.
“Our strategy will involve developing proactive and effective strategies to attract offshore funding for affordable housing to Nigerians as well as improving service delivery to National Housing Fund (NHF) contributors across the country. We also plan to look at improvement of staff welfare across board to ensure a well motivated workforce and profitable operations,” he said.
In a statement, Kumo assured the Federal Government and other stakeholders in the sector of the bank’s determination to sustain the cordial relationship it enjoyed in the previous years.
“I use this opportunity to request that the same support and cooperation enjoyed by the previous executive management team be equally extended to the present team. As a returning member of the team, I have had the privilege of experiencing the various challenges facing the FMBN as well as the housing sector in general,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister said the essence of reconstituting the team of the FMBN was to reinvigorate the bank and effectively reposition it to meet the present and future challenges and also gave a fresh mandate to the management to make house ownership easier for most Nigerians.
Eyakenyi applauded the performance of FMBN in previous years, saying the bank continues to be one of the performing organisations in the country.
She urged the team to create room for innovators and strategic thinkers in the bank to flourish by reconfiguring the human resources management architecture of the bank.
Source : SunOnline
