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FMBN Set To Support Affordable Houses For NYSC Staff
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is ready and willing to support the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in its quest for affordable houses for it’s members of staff.
This was revealed on Thursday by the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Madu Hamman, when he received the top management of NYSC at his office in Abuja.
Mr. Hamman who commended the Director General of NYSC, Brig Gen YD Ahmed and his team for the good job they are doing in molding Nigerian youths into becoming responsible citizens reeled out three housing schemes which NYSC staff can benefit from.
“The products at our disposal which your staff can key into are: National Housing Fund Mortgage Loan, Cooperative Housing Development Loan, and Ministerial Pilot Housing Scheme. We operate each of these plans in all our branches across the nation” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of the FMBN reiterated the bank’s commitment to ensuring that low and middle class Nigerians obtain houses at affordable rates.
Speaking earlier, the NYSC Director-General commended the bank for the enormous effort it is making to provide houses at subsidized rate to all categories of citizens.
General Ahmed said that the reason for the visit was to seek for strong collaboration with FMBN, which will give NYSC staff opportunity to own houses as part of the welfare plan of his administration.
News
AWESSA 2026: Customs Assures Border Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs
By James Samuel, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service has said the nation’s borders must become gateways of opportunity for African women entrepreneurs, not obstacles that kill their businesses.
This was disclosed at the African Women’s Economic Sovereignty Summit and Awards (AWESSA) 2026 held at the Customs House, corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, his representative, an Assistant Controller, said hosting the summit inside Customs premises was deliberate.
“That this summit holds within the Customs premises is no accident. It is a statement of intent,” he said.
“The border is where the promise of every African trader either comes alive or dies quietly. And the men and women of this Service have resolved that for every woman entrepreneur of this continent, that promise will never die.”
He said women account for an estimated 70% of informal cross-border trade in Africa and over half of agricultural labour, yet they face documentation, standards, finance and harassment challenges.
“Too often she meets the border as an obstacle rather than a gateway. Because she trades in small volumes, in cash, in informality without formal papers, capable business women are now trapped in informality, invisible to trade statistics,” he noted.
He added: “AfCFTA will not be delivered by treaties alone. It will be delivered at border posts, in conference halls, and in market stores.”
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, represented by a Director, said women are central to Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.
According to her, NEPC’s focus is now on building export- ready competitive enterprises through programmes like the Women in Export Initiative, Export Clinic, and Zero to Export.
“Our focus is no longer on encouraging exports alone, it is on building competitive export-ready enterprises. We are supporting women to move beyond production into value addition, quality assurance, standard compliance, branding and market positioning,” she said.
She said AfCFTA offers a market of over one billion people, but women need knowledge, certifications and institutional support.
“Empowering women economically is one of the most effective tools for achieving poverty reduction, food security, job creation and inclusive growth,” she stated.
The Convener, Helen Okon, who is the Publisher of Business Review Africa & Africa Today Magazine, as well as representatives of NAFDAC DG and NEXIM Bank MD, reaffirmed commitment to supporting women-owned businesses access standards, certification and finance.
The summit, with the theme of positioning women as drivers of trade and sustainable development, is part of activities marking the International Year of the Women Farmer.
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