In a move to expand home ownership opportunities for local government employees, the Lagos State Ministry of Housing has expressed its readiness to partner with the Local Government Staff Housing Board to enhance access to affordable housing and strengthen welfare initiatives for personnel across the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, disclosed this while receiving a delegation from the Local Government Staff Housing Board, led by its Chairman, Mrs. Bibilomo Olusekun, at the Ministry’s headquarters. The delegation also included the Permanent Secretary, Office of Local Government Establishment and Training, alongside Council Managers from Agege Local Government, Orile Agege LCDA, Igando/Ikotun LCDA, Oto-Awori LCDA, and Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA.
Akinderu-Fatai stated that the Ministry is open to a sustainable partnership with the board to help more local government staff own homes. He noted that the collaboration would include a review of existing laws and regulations guiding the board’s operations to make access to housing loans and benefits more seamless and realistic for home ownership and renovation purposes.
According to him, the Ministry has reserved 20 percent of housing allocations in state-owned estates for civil servants, including local government workers. While some local government employees had benefited from previous allocations, he said the new partnership would institutionalise the process to ensure wider participation.
The Commissioner explained that there are two major avenues for staff to access housing opportunities — outright purchase and the Rent-to-Own scheme — and urged the board to engage local government leadership and stakeholders in identifying affordable housing options within their areas.
In her remarks, Mrs. Olusekun noted that the board currently has over 3,000 loan beneficiaries across the state but aims to expand access to allow more employees benefit from the Ministry’s housing allocations. She said the partnership would improve staff welfare, boost morale, and reinforce government’s commitment to the well-being of its workforce.
She also appealed for the allocation of housing units to local government employees through the board on affordable and structured terms, describing the initiative as a step toward ensuring long-term financial security and stability for workers.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Engr. Abdulhafis Toriola, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the collaboration, noting that such partnerships are vital to achieving the state’s goal of inclusive housing development. He commended the board’s leadership for the visit and assured them that their proposals would receive due consideration within existing policy frameworks.
