Shehu Osidi, the managing director and chief executive officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), said the bank raked in N18.9 billion in 2024 from the recovery of bad loans.

Mr Osidi made this known on FMBN Day at the ongoing Africa International Housing Show (AIHS) on Thursday in Abuja.

The theme for the Housing Show is “Re-imagining Housing Finance: Opportunities and Lessons for FMBN.”

Mr Osidi recalled that at the same event in 2024, the bank announced the constitution of seven recovery task teams to recover delinquent loans across the country.

“By the end of 2024, the teams had raked in over N10.9 billion in bad loans. This was in addition to our normal recovery activities, which also yielded the sum of N3.1billion in the same year.

“The recovery from the teams is currently at over N18.9 billion,’’ he said.

Mr Osidi said the bank also improved its loan approvals significantly within the same period.

According to him, N71.5 billion in loans has been approved, compared to N39.7 billion in 2023.

He added that under the National Housing Fund (NHF) operations, the bank’s collections grew by N3 billion in 2024, resulting in a total collection of N103 billion.

Mr Osidi said this was compared to the N100 billion the bank recorded in 2023.

“Notably, we were also able to clear a four-year backlog out of our outstanding unaudited accounts of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, demonstrating our renewed commitment to financial transparency and good governance.

“I believe by the time we come to this platform next year, FMBN should have been up-to-date in its audited accounts.

“Our target is to achieve this milestone by the end of this year, 2025,” he said.

Mr Osidi said FMBN’s financial performance has also improved, adding that the bank made an operational surplus of N11.5 billion, making it the first time it recorded such an achievement in over 30 years of existence.

He said that with prudent management and growing operations, FMBN was on track for another surplus in 2025.

According to him, this is proof that FMBN’s policies are yielding results, and the bank is on the right track.

The managing director said FMBN was offering deliberate and substantial support for the Ministry of Housing on its housing delivery agenda under the Renewed Hope Housing programme of President Bola Tinubu.

He said the bank has so far provided N100 billion in off-taker guarantees to facilitate the mobilisation of required funding for the Renewed Hope Housing and Estates programme across Nigeria.

Mr Osidi explained that those projects were currently ongoing in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and other locations across the country.

He further said FMBN has also extended an additional funding facility of N19.9 billion for the Karsana project in Abuja.

“This is apart from our funding of Renewed Hope City, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, to the tune of N27 billion to deliver 1,500 units of two- and three-bedroom apartments.

“The bank is also providing mortgages for Nigerians who are contributors to the NHF to off-take the houses constructed under the programme across the country,’’ he said.

Mr Osidi said the bank is also introducing new products to deepen affordable home ownership and promote financial inclusion.

He disclosed that from August, three groundbreaking products will be rolled out. These include the FMBN Non-Interest Mortgage Loan, which aligns with ethical finance principles to cater for the needs of Nigerians who prefer non-interest banking models.

The second is the FMBN National Housing Fund (NHF) Diaspora Mortgage Loan, specifically designed to provide a safe and seamless homeownership pathway for Nigerians living abroad, to be launched on August 31.

Mr Osidi said the FMBN National Housing Fund (NHF) Diaspora Mortgage Loan is in collaboration with NiDCOM and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He said the third product is rent assistance, a customised product tailored to meet the immediate needs of NHF contributors in both formal and informal sectors before they own their homes.

(NAN)