The Federal Government has expressed concern that many civil servants are unable to benefit from its housing loan schemes due to heavy salary deductions from multiple loans taken with commercial lending agencies.
Executive Secretary of the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, Hajiya Salamatu Ladi Ahmed, disclosed this during the Permanent Secretaries’ Quarterly Forum with Union Leaders, organised by the Service Welfare Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
She explained that many federal workers had “mortgaged their salaries” by taking several “sharp loans” from private lending outfits, making them ineligible to service government-backed housing loans.
“This is very sad because the board has raised its loan ceiling to N20 million for senior workers, and even created a special scheme for officers on Grade Levels 8 to 14. Yet, many cannot benefit because their salaries are already tied up,” Ahmed said.
She added that the board was collaborating with mortgage institutions and private developers to make housing more affordable for civil servants.
Declaring the forum open, the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, Mrs Patience Onyekunle, said the engagement was aimed at strengthening dialogue between government and unions on staff welfare, industrial harmony, and productivity.
Onyekunle outlined several initiatives under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (2021–2025), including group life assurance for workers, the President’s N750 billion pension bond bill currently before the National Assembly, and the resuscitation of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund.
She further listed the provision of free medical services at the Office of the HCSF complex, a review of the recognition and reward policy, and an open-door engagement policy with labour unions as part of government’s ongoing welfare efforts.
