By Oludamisi Ojo
To facilitate the provision of affordable houses for Ekiti people, the Ekiti State Government said it had secured a sum of ₦2.6B housing fund from the Federal Government under the Family Home Fund to build 550 housing units in the State.

The Executive Secretary of Ekiti State Mortgage Board, Ms. Oludayo Olorunfemi, disclosed this in Abuja during a meeting with estate management investors and other stakeholders in the housing sector.

The meeting had in attendance, the Deputy Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Hakeem Jamiu; Regional Manager North Cooperative Mortgage Bank, Akeem Ikumoguniyi; Managing Director, Family Homes Funds Limited, Femi Adewole represented by Mr. Hussaini Yusuf Ijabah; Representative of Dangote Group, John Ughiobhe; Managing Director, Sammy Nigeria Limited, Sammy Adigun.

Others are Managing Director Laadmonay Nigeria Limited, Stephen Adigun; Chief Executive Officer of Greenland Concept, Kemi Sijuawade; Managing Director of Hebron Shelter, Ebenezer Adebisi, and other top investors in the housing sector.

The meeting centered on the various mechanisms that the government had put in place to achieve the vision of constructing 5000 housing units across the state that would be affordable and available to individuals irrespective of their social class, job type, income level, gender, or other divisive indices through the loan of low-interest rates.
While addressing the gathering, Olorunfemi revealed that the State Government, through the Ekiti State Mortgage Board, has embarked on an aggressive campaign that would promote enlightenment on the various opportunities available in the housing sector.

According to her, is, this would eliminate the knowledge gap barriers that could prevent them from taking advantage of the loan.

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She said in addition to the ₦2.6 housing fund secured from the federal government, several other credible actors in the private sector had begun to show interest in how they can partner with the state government in developing the housing sector in the State.

On the need for more investors to key into the housing investment opportunities in the State, Olorunfemi said Fayemi’s administration had built an ecosystem and legal structure that supports the viability of housing investment in the State.

She said the 2020 Ekiti State Mortgage and Foreclosure law that established the agency made provision for the protection of investments of the investor in the case where customers defaulted in paying back the loan or delayed its payment.

Speaking with reporters shortly after the event, the Managing Director of Connect Homes and the CEO of the Ekiti Home Agenda program, Mr. Ope Akeju said the program desired to achieve the building of 5000 homes across the State.

Akeju said some of the developers like Wemabond Estate and Diamond Gate Estate had started building 150 gated homes and 250 gated homes respectively in different parts of the state.