Ebonyi State Government and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) have explored a strategic partnership to address the housing deficit in the state.
Gov. Francis Nwifuru made the call when he received a delegation from FMBN, led by its Executive Director, Ms Chinenye Anosike, on Wednesday in Abakaliki.
Nwifuru urged FMBN to construct at least 1,000 housing units in each state, while encouraging state governments to provide an additional 1,000 units to tackle the housing deficit.
He said his administration had prioritised housing and was planning to construct 600 additional duplexes, with a target of delivering more than 1,000 housing units before the end of his tenure.
The governor added that housing was critical to development, urging FMBN to ensure quality construction and engage only experienced contractors.
He also called for collaboration among FMBN, the Nigerian Institute of Building and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to ensure compliance with modern building standards.
Earlier, Anosike said the bank was seeking partnership with the state government to develop a proposed housing estate comprising about 800 units for the state’s workforce.
She said the project would be executed under a public-private partnership, with the state expected to provide serviced land and the necessary on-site and off-site infrastructure.
