Wale Odutola, Chief Executive Officer of ARM Holdings, says the Ministry of Finance Real Estate Investment Fund (MREIF) is transforming Nigeria’s housing market into a credible and investable asset class.
Speaking in an interview with BusinessDay, Odutola explained that the fund was designed to introduce structure, transparency, and governance into a sector long constrained by short-term financing and policy inconsistency.
He said MREIF operates as a regulated, closed-ended collective investment scheme under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with all transactions managed through independent custodians and trustees to ensure accountability.
Odutola noted that the initiative is building investor confidence by standardising mortgage-backed instruments and creating traceable housing assets with predictable income streams.
He added that the fund aligns public policy and private finance, positioning the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) as an anchor investor to de-risk early investments and crowd in pension funds, insurance firms, and development finance institutions.
According to him, MREIF’s multi-layered structure—featuring concessionary, commercial, and hybrid tranches—offers risk protection through MOFI’s first-loss position, while independent governance frameworks safeguard investors’ interests.
Odutola said transparency remains a key differentiator for MREIF, as the fund provides full disclosure through audited reports, performance dashboards, and regulatory oversight, helping to build trust and credibility.
He added that the federal government’s reforms around fiscal discipline and asset optimisation have strengthened investor confidence, with MREIF serving as a model for future infrastructure funds in sectors such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing.
Odutola concluded that MREIF represents a long-term vision for institutional maturity in Nigeria’s financial system, showing that disciplined governance and blended finance can drive sustainable housing and economic development.
