The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Shehu Usman Osidi, has reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to making housing finance more accessible, responsive, and investment-friendly in order to expand homeownership across the country.
Osidi made the statement while speaking at the Housing Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Summit in Abuja, where stakeholders in the housing and construction sector discussed strategies for addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit.
Urgency to Bridge Housing Deficit
He described Nigeria’s housing challenge as an urgent national priority, stressing the need for stronger innovative financing mechanisms and closer alignment between government policies and private sector execution.
According to him, sustainable housing delivery cannot be achieved by government alone, but through structured partnerships that combine policy support with private sector efficiency and long-term financing solutions.
“The housing challenge before us requires robust Public-Private Partnerships that effectively combine public policy support, private sector efficiency, long-term financing, land accessibility, infrastructure provision, and institutional coordination,” he said.
FMBN Expands PPP and Developer Partnerships
Osidi noted that FMBN has strengthened collaborations with private developers, state governments, cooperative societies, labour unions, and other stakeholders across the housing value chain.
He said these partnerships have already delivered measurable results in expanding access to affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners in Nigeria.
The FMBN boss also highlighted the bank’s N100 billion off-taker guarantee scheme under the Renewed Hope Housing and Estates Programme, which is currently supporting projects in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Maiduguri.
Shift Toward Innovative Housing Finance
Osidi explained that the bank has intensified efforts to improve operational efficiency, expand digitisation, strengthen credit processes, and enhance transparency in loan administration.
He added that FMBN is also deploying innovative financing structures such as rent-to-own schemes, mortgage creation support, and off-taker guarantees to improve affordability and accelerate project delivery.
“Beyond direct housing construction financing, we have continued to deepen collaboration with developers through off-taker guarantees, mortgage creation support, rent-to-own products, and innovative financing structures designed to improve affordability and accelerate project completion,” he said.
Call for Broader Financial Innovation
The FMBN chief urged stakeholders to explore blended finance models, land reforms, infrastructure partnerships, and improved mortgage access systems that can make homeownership more achievable for Nigerians.
He stressed that when government provides enabling policies and institutional backing, the private sector responds with innovation, efficiency, and scale, helping to drive national housing development.
