NATIONAL HOUSING FUND: Retirees Groan … As Mortgage Bank Declares High Profits
3 min read
CEO/MD Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN)
by Pearl Harold
Retired workers of the Federal Civil Service, have decried the poor treatment of retirees by operators of the National Housing Fund (NHF).
The NHF, a contributory housing scheme, established to provide housing for eligible federal workers and affordable mortgage loans, is handled by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN.
However, retirees have lamented their inability to access their funds years after disengagement from the civil service.
An investigation by Our Correspondent, revealed that retirees have not been paid their entitlements for the past two years (2023-2025), while Federal Mortgage Bank, operator of the scheme has posted huge profits.
Some retirees who spoke to Our Correspondent on condition of anonymity, described the seeming inaction of the bank as most callous, insensitive and a sabotage of their trust in the scheme.
She said; “The attitude of the Federal Mortgage Bank towards contributors is callous, insensitive and a sabotage of good government policy.
“I have been retired for about two years now. Others have been retired earlier than I, yet have not been able to access the money.
“The promise was to build my retirement home with the money, but my own money is being withheld without any explanations.
“Some contributors have died with no house built but have saved the money under the scheme. It is quite unfortunate and agonizing”.
When Our Correspondent contacted the headquarters of the Federal Mortgage Bank, Abuja through a WhatsApp number, an official attributed the delay to the failure of contributors’ organizations to remit to the NHF account or submit schedule of payments for contributors.
The bank said: “There is delay in the payments because their organizations don’t make remittance to NHF ACCOUNT, or submit schedule of payments for the contributors, which means the contributor has nothing or little amount of money in their NHF account. With that, FMBN wouldn’t be able to pay till the organization makes the complete remittance
She said contributors should show proof of submission schedule to the FMBN and the official who received it, adding that without remittance or schedule of payment, the bank would not be able to pay.
“They should send the evidence that it was submitted and who picked it up from my organization. Most times, they submit refund applications without the remittance or schedule of payment, my organization will have to be waiting for the contributor schedule of payment.”
The FMBN further revealed, “With a complete schedule of payment, adequate remittance, and complete document refund takes 3 months maximum.”
The bank denied accusations of insensitivity, blaming contributors’ failure to understand or follow instructions as reasons for misunderstanding.
“Our bank is sensitive to our customers plight, and gives them the adequate information they need, but most times customers don’t follow or understand instructions, which result in the misunderstanding between the bank and our customers,” the bank added.
The Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria currently is Shehu Usman Osidi.
Handler of the NHF scheme posits that over three decades, the NHF has played a key role in improving housing accessibility by offering low-interest mortgage loans to Nigerians who want to buy, build, or renovate their homes.
The NHF as a contributory scheme, provides that eligible individuals remit 2.5% of their monthly income into the fund.
These contributions accumulate over time, allowing contributors to apply for housing loans at significantly lower interest rates compared to commercial banks.
