Grace Omachoko
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD) has announced plans to allocate 8,925 residences to deserving applicants across the country through the national housing program.
This decision follows a detailed evaluation of the requirements and procedures for housing sales under the National Housing Program as outlined in a circular distributed in December 2023.
Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of FMHUD in Abuja, stated that the allocation includes various housing schemes such as outright payment, mortgage, rent-to-own, and installment payment to meet the diverse needs of applicants.
A total of 8,925 applications were tendered and distribution of applications by payment method delineates thus: outright payment – 1,294, mortgage – 2,408, rent-to-own – 2,184, and installment payment – 3,039.
Applicants enrolled in the mortgage, rent-to-own, and installment payment schemes are being profiled, as they are required to subscribe to the National Housing Fund.
Ogunbiyi added that successful applicants for outright payment will receive offers for new provisional allocations, with Federal Controllers of Housing and Urban Development in states and the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) coordinating with subscribers starting Thursday, April 18, 2024.
However, Ogunbiyi noted that completed houses are not yet available in Abia, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Allocation in these areas will take place upon the completion of housing projects later in the year.
The statement reads: “The Ministry is presently in the process of refining the conditions and procedures for sales of houses under the National Housing Programme.
“Part of the new sales process is the completion of an Expression of Interest form.
“Interested subscribers who were offered a provisional offer of allocation that elapsed between 10th March 2022 and 18th October 2023 are free to re-apply by completing the Expression of Interest form.
“All interested subscribers are to obtain their Expression of Interest forms from the office of the Federal Controllers of Housing and Urban Development in the 36 states of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory at no cost.
“However, Nigerians in the diaspora who are interested in subscribing to the Houses are to obtain their Expression of Interest Forms from the office of the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.”