Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State says its Teacher Reserved Area (TRA) housing project committee has acquired over N3 billion in federal government funding for affordable houses.

The governor disclosed this at the presentation of allocation letters for 500 affordable housing funds housing units and house refurbishing loans to 426 teachers and other public servants held at the Government House, Kano.

Represented by his deputy and APC governorship candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, Mr Ganduje said the houses would be constructed in phases across the various local government areas of the state.

“This laudable programme is a partnership between Kano state and the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN) of Nigeria as well as the Family Homes Fund, initiated to provide affordable housing to residents and support civil servants.

“It is for them to obtain affordable loans to renovate their homes to make them more conducive for habitation,” he said, according to a statement by the deputy governor’s media aide, Hassan Fagge, on Sunday in Kano.

According to him, a house renovation loan of over N700 million has already been secured from the FMBN to enable civil servants and other beneficiaries who already own homes to refurbish their homes.

“Beneficiaries will receive N1 million as a loan and be repaid through monthly deduction over a period of time to allow for ease of payment,” he said.

The governor reiterated that his administration had committed a significant amount of funding, efforts and other investments to ensure the full realisation of these housing programmes for the benefit of its people.

The governor, who congratulated the beneficiaries of the programmes, reminded them that the renovation loan and housing units were provided on a credit basis by the federal government to the state.

Therefore, he urged them to fulfil their pledge and make timely repayment for other residents to benefit.

The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Umar El-Yakub, said the result of getting access to the home renovation loan and other facilities offered by the FMBN to all civil servants in Kano who were contributors to the National Housing Fund Scheme made it possible.

The managing director of the FMBN, Hamman Madu, explained that the bank was also constructing 265 housing units in some local government areas of the state, which would be sold to members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.

Earlier, the chairman of the TRA Housing Project Committee, Rabi’u Bichi, highlighted the successes achieved by the committee.

He said the successes started with signing a memorandum of understanding to develop 5,000 affordable housing units across 44 local government areas in phases.

“Development of the housing units has commenced with 500 housing units being constructed at both Ungogo and Fagge local government areas.” 

(NAN)