The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) commenced a verification exercise on Thursday for houses and lands in the Southeast region. The exercise, aimed at repositioning the FHA as a leading housing provider for the Federal Government, was outlined by Nya-Etok Ezekiel, Executive Director of Estate Services, on behalf of Managing Director/CEO, Oyetunde Ojo.
Ezekiel explained that similar exercises had already begun in the North Central and Southwest zones, with the Southeast next in line. He noted that this effort is intended to correct issues with land allocation processes and remedy existing abnormalities.
Reflecting on past successes, Ezekiel highlighted that FHA has played a pivotal role in establishing some of Nigeria’s most renowned estates, such as Festac and Gwarinpa. While Festac once attracted foreign visitors with its beauty, Gwarinpa is now recognized as one of the largest estates in West Africa. The FHA currently manages over 50 estates across the country.
However, Ezekiel acknowledged present challenges, including the dilapidation of houses and infrastructure in many estates. Additionally, fraudulent practices like the multi-allocation of lands to different buyers have caused significant financial losses and led to time-consuming legal battles.
To address these challenges, the FHA has begun digitizing its processes, ensuring that property owners have digital records of their land and houses, providing security and peace of mind. “The verification exercise is part of our efforts to create digital imprints of all properties,” Ezekiel explained, urging allottees to participate in the verification process.
The current exercise focuses on house verification, with land verification set to begin in the coming weeks. In addition, the FHA announced plans for a large-scale housing initiative aimed at providing affordable homes for Nigerians. Twenty-six state governors, including the governor of Imo State, have already pledged support for the program, with land procured across several states.
