By Perpetua Onuegbu
The Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa says the authority has qualified professionals and assets to secure its loans.
Ashafa said this while interacting with stakeholders at the occasion of the authority’s 50th anniversary on Friday in Abuja.
He was speaking against the backdrop that the authority has to innovate new ways of doing things in order to live up to the expectations of the people.
According to him, the authority has qualified professionals who are well grounded in the built industry to be able to accomplish the mandate of the authority which is housing delivery for all caders of the society.
He said the staff were well motivated with conducive and digitalised environment to carry out effective tasks of the authority.
“Our staff are no longer looking at the four walls of FHA, or Festac, or Awka but beyond the shores of the nation.
“Because that was not the way we used to do it. No, we have made up our mind to tell the world that we have enough assets to secure our loans.
“To tell the world that before we start going to the extreme of demolition, if you build on the right of way of drains and roads without approval you have to go.
“We can explore all other areas and it should be the last option to think of.
“In our own way we have introduced what we call VRR- Verification, Regularisation and Recovery.This will enable anyone to be certified with building code in line with FHA approval to start building,”
He added that this was a way to go as Nigerians had been patient to see FHA conform and perform in line with its mandate.
He agreed that the authority needed funds and that the experts would help determine how the funds would be generated.
Also, Dr Charles Inyangeta, Co-Founder, Advisory and Asset Management, UK, said that FHA should explore the usage of locally sourced building materials.
Inyangeta was speaking on affordable housing delivery and mortgage sector development.
He said that this usually hold great potential in significantly reducing housing cost and creating additional employment opportunities in the country.
He added that the National Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and Raw Materials Research Development Council (RMRDC) were to play key roles that would promote evidence based interventions from FHA.
He also said that skills development and training of local construction and building artisans would improve the overall construction and maintenance of housing in urban areas.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)