Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoS), has reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to providing affordable houses for civil servants through its Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme.
Oyo-Ita, spoke on Monday in Abuja, when she received management team of Brains and Hammers, an estate developer outfit.
Oyo-Ita said she was standing on the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari in providing affordable housing for Nigerians.
She said the provision of housing for Nigerians was one of the critical areas of intervention that the present administration had identified.
“Many other parastatals and para-militaries already embarked on such housing programmes and even the military have the Army Resettlement Post Service programme and that of the Navy estate.
“The core civil servants who bear the burdens of implementation of government policies and programmes are more or less being forgotten and that is why we developed the FISH programme.
“Already we have identified few developers, who have indicated interest in joining hands with us in the fulfillment of this vision,’’ she said.
Oyo-Ita said that civil servants were the major contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) from which the Federal Mortgage Bank would be able to source for its various programmes.
She said it was expected that civil servants should be the very first beneficiary of mortgage loans and facility from FMBN.
Oyo-Ita said that over 8,000 civil servants have so far registered for the FISH programme.
“From our preliminary discussions, we were meant to understand that our staff would be able to get houses as low as N5 million for one bedroom apartment up to N17.3 million for four bedrooms.
“The gains of having a housing estate developed for civil servants go beyond just providing affordable houses for them, but there is the economic multiplier effect that comes with housing development,’’ she added.
Mr Adebola Sheidu, Chairman, Brains and Hammers said the company was in partnership with the Office of the HoS to provide affordable houses for civil servants in the heart of Abuja.
Sheidu said that one of its estates, located in Idu Gwari near Life Camp would have four types of houses ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms terrace.
He said that the one bedroom flat would go for N5 million, two bedrooms for N7.5 million, three bedrooms for N9.5 million and the four bedrooms terrace for N17.3 million.
Mr Yemi Adelaku, Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office in the HoS office, explained that the prices were subject to reduction through the inputs of the various ministries.
Adelaku added that the cost of land which was about 30 per cent of the cost of the houses was yet to be addressed. (NAN)