In a move aimed at expanding home ownership opportunities for local government employees, the Lagos State Ministry of Housing has expressed its readiness to partner with the Local Government Staff Housing Board to enhance access to affordable housing and strengthen welfare initiatives across the state’s 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, announced this while receiving a delegation from the Local Government Staff Housing Board, led by its Chairman, Mrs. Bibilomo Olusekun, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja.
The delegation also included the Permanent Secretary, Office of Local Government Establishment and Training, as well as Council Managers from Agege Local Government, Orile-Agege LCDA, Igando/Ikotun LCDA, Oto-Awori LCDA, and Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA.
Akinderu-Fatai stated that the Ministry is open to a sustainable partnership that will help more local government staff own homes.
He said the collaboration would involve reviewing existing laws and regulations guiding the board’s operations to make access to housing loans and benefits more seamless and realistic for both home ownership and renovation purposes.
According to him, 20 percent of housing allocations in state-owned estates have been reserved for civil servants, including local government workers.
While some have benefited from previous allocations, he explained that the new partnership seeks to institutionalise the process to ensure wider and fairer participation.
The Commissioner further explained that staff could access housing opportunities through two major avenues outright purchase and the Rent-to-Own scheme.
He urged the board to engage local government leadership and stakeholders in identifying affordable housing options within their jurisdictions.
In her remarks, Mrs. Olusekun revealed that the board currently has over 3,000 loan beneficiaries across the state but intends to widen access to enable more employees to benefit from the Ministry’s housing allocations.
She described the collaboration as a strategic step toward improving staff welfare, boosting morale, and reinforcing government’s commitment to the well-being of its workforce.
She also appealed for the allocation of more housing units to local government employees on affordable and structured terms, emphasizing that such support would ensure long-term financial stability for workers.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Engr. Abdulhafis Toriola, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the collaboration, noting that such partnerships are vital to achieving Lagos State’s goal of inclusive housing development. He commended the board’s leadership for the visit and assured them that their proposals would receive due consideration within existing policy frameworks.
