By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has called on the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to initiate the construction of at least 1,000 housing units in each state of the federation as part of efforts to address the country’s housing deficit.

Governor Nwifuru also urged state governments to complement the initiative by providing an additional 1,000 housing units each, saying such a coordinated approach would significantly reduce the perennial housing shortage across the country.

The governor made the call on Wednesday at his office in Ochudo Centenary City, Abakaliki, when he received the FMBN management team, led by its Executive Director, Ms Chinedu Anosike.

According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, Nwifuru said his administration had made significant progress in housing delivery and was planning the construction of an additional 600 duplex units.

He said housing remained a critical component of his administration’s development agenda, expressing his commitment to delivering more than 1,000 housing units before the end of his tenure.

“We are talking about practical development. Whatever you do without housing, it means there is no practical development because shelter is important,” the governor said.

Nwifuru commended the FMBN for its services and called for improved standards in the construction of housing projects across the country.

He urged the bank to prevent contractors without adequate industry experience from handling housing projects and to ensure that all developments met high standards of quality and durability.

The governor also advised the FMBN to collaborate with the Nigerian Institute of Building and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to strengthen quality control in housing construction.

Nwifuru further called for a review of the continued construction of bungalows for federal workers, advocating modern, multi-level structures that would make better use of available land and provide the necessary infrastructural facelift.

Earlier, Anosike said the purpose of the FMBN delegation’s visit was to explore collaboration with the Ebonyi State Government on the development of a housing estate for residents and workers in the state.

She disclosed that the proposed Ebonyi Housing Estate was expected to provide about 800 housing units for the state’s workforce.

According to her, the project would be implemented under a public-private partnership arrangement, with the Ebonyi State Government expected to provide on-site and off-site infrastructure as well as unencumbered land for the development.

She said the partnership would provide affordable housing opportunities for workers while strengthening collaboration between the FMBN and the state government in tackling the housing deficit.