By Akanimo Sampson
Despite the harsh effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, Family Homes Funds is still pressing ahead with its vision of using social houses to improve the living standards of Nigerians on low income by building quality homes, providing home ownership financing solutions and creating jobs through the process.
Early last January, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, inspected model house prototypes of the social housing scheme, component of the economic sustainability plan.
Checks by this news portal show that Family Homes has provided houses in all the 17 local government areas of Yobe State just as such houses are completed in Bauchi State. While the houses are similarly ready in Ogun State, in Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, 500 housing units are being provided for the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Interestingly, the mission of Family Homes is working with partners to drive initiatives that provide lasting solutions for the provision of home ownerships for Nigerians on low income. ‘’We will ensure that we are focused, have excellent processes and remain accountable to our stakeholders’’, the agency says on its website.
It was however, registered in 2017 and commenced operations in 2018. Family Homes Funds is a sub-Sahara Africa’s largest housing fund focused on affordable homes for Nigerians on low income. It is a social housing initiative promoted by the Federal Government of Nigeria as part of its social intervention programme with initial shareholding by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.
Over the next four years, the company aims to invest up to N1.3 trillion in the development of 500,000 homes for people on low income. In the process, the company also aims to create up to 1,500,000 jobs and enable homeownership through its creative products.
In the mean time, around 1,000 artisans and craftsmen from Yobe’s 17 local government areas have benefited from a capacity development and skills acquisition Programme organized by the state government in partnership with Family Homes Funds.
The training was an effort to bridge the skills gap caused by ageing skilled artisans in Yobe, and to further support the local capacity of the craftsmen across the local government areas. It was also an innovative way of providing jobs to support the artisans in the local construction industry.
The weeklong programme took place across 10 training centres involved Hands on Training on modern interlocking production, laying and marketing. Participants were empowered with a modern skill set that will help them navigate through the fast-changing world of construction and artisanship.
The programme re-echoed the vision shared by Family Homes and Yobe state Government , the need to create jobs and improve quality in local production/services among artisans/craftsmen.
Some of the critical stakeholders involved in the training included experts from Housing and Property Development, and Science and Technical Schools in the state.
For sustainability purposes, arrangements have been made with major contractors in the state to establish linkages so that the newly trained artisans can be engaged in infrastructural development. Apart from capacity development, the beneficiaries would also receive support to expand their ventures.
Those who were getting the training for the first time will be registered with the association of artisans/craftsmen in the state, while those already in the field will use the training to continuously improve the quality of their work.
As the demand for skilled manpower continues to rise, this training offers great opportunities for both the artisans and those who need their great skills.
A graduation ceremony has been planned for the artisans and will be attended by Governor Mai Mala Buni and a delegation from Family Homes Funds led by its Managing Director, Femi Adewole.
