By Shafi’u Yahaya
The Kano State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Arch. Ibrahim Yakub Adamu Wudil, has welcomed the Federal Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, PhD, DBA, to Kano State for the official launch of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria’s (FMBN) non-interest housing finance products.
The programme, held on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, featured the official launch of the Ijarah Muntahia Bittamleek, a lease-to-own housing finance product designed to provide Nigerians with an alternative pathway to homeownership.
The commissioner, who spoke on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for introducing the initiative, describing it as an important opportunity to expand access to affordable housing for Nigerians.
Arch. Wudil said the Kano State Government was committed to improving housing delivery and supporting policies that would enable residents, particularly civil servants and other low-income earners, to own homes.
He also thanked members of the Federal Council of States responsible for lands and housing for adopting the Kano State Government’s housing initiative aimed at extending housing development to rural communities.
According to him, the Kano State Government had proposed the construction of 50 housing units in each local government area as part of its efforts to improve access to housing across the state.
The commissioner expressed appreciation for the adoption of the initiative, saying it would encourage the extension of similar housing programmes to other parts of the country.
He noted that the federal initiative, which reportedly received approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, targets the construction of 100 housing units in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Speaking during the programme, the Federal Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, said it was a pleasure to be in Kano for the launch of the FMBN non-interest housing finance products.
The minister explained that the initiative was not intended to introduce another housing product merely for the sake of it, but to provide Nigerians with an additional opportunity to access homeownership.
He said the non-interest mortgage arrangement would enable civil servants, petty traders and other eligible Nigerians to access housing through a lease-to-own system.
Under the arrangement, beneficiaries would occupy houses as tenants and gradually acquire ownership through the agreed payment structure.
The minister described housing as a basic necessity for every Nigerian and said the initiative was designed to make homeownership more accessible to citizens who might otherwise find it difficult to acquire houses.
He disclosed that more than six million housing units had been contributed towards the national housing effort, while the Federal Government’s target was to achieve 10 million housing units.
The minister also acknowledged that the cost of acquiring land and constructing houses differed across states and regions.
He explained that the cost of building a two-bedroom house in Jigawa or Katsina would not necessarily be the same as in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kano or Akwa Ibom, due to differences in land prices and construction costs.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed its housing loan centres to facilitate the prompt release of loans to eligible beneficiaries.
According to him, the government was targeting 5,000 housing loan beneficiaries in the current year as part of its efforts to expand access to homeownership.
The launch of the non-interest housing finance product is expected to provide an additional financing option for Nigerians seeking to acquire homes through a lease-to-own arrangement.
