The Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL) has been ranked first in the latest Transparency and Integrity Index released by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CEFTIW).
The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CEFTIW) has presented a report on the evaluation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and other government institutions’ disclosure of vital information relating to good governance and accountability, in compliance with relevant laws and provisions.
The Center is a non-governmental and non-partisan organization established in 2016 with the aim of promoting accountability, transparency within the public sector, and ensuring good governance at all levels.
Following its assessment of 475 Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies, the 36 States, and 774 Local Governments, the centre, during its September public presentation, adjudged the Family Homes Funds as the most transparent and integrity-driven institution of all.
Presenting the report on the 28th of September at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja, the founders of the centre said that the assessment is aimed at holding the Nigerian government agencies and parastatals accountable in the areas of integrity and transparency.
28th of September being the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the centre said the assessment and report is also aimed at supporting the quest for open governance in the country. Consequently, calls were made for greater improvement as out of the 475 that were ranked, none scored up to 40 per cent. Though ranked highest, the Family Homes Funds scored 34.92 per cent.
The Nigeria Extractive Industry Initiative (NEITI) is ranked second on the chart, followed by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA); the Development Bank of Nigeria; Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation; Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission; the National Agency for the Control of Aids; Central Bank of Nigeria; National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Nigerian Ports Authority amongst others.
Only fully operational for two years now, the Family Homes Funds has positioned itself as an innovative social housing institution, empowering hundreds of thousands of Nigerians with the opportunity to own decent and affordable homes.
With the support of key stakeholders like the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, the Family Homes Funds is committed to the development of about 30,000 homes, with 5,408 of them completed across eight states, and 9,148 under construction, and another 13,543 taking off in the fourth quarter of this year. These projects have so far created about 64,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country with multiple business opportunities for MSMEs as well.
With a promising future, Family Homes Funds will continue to perform in assessments like this. Having substantially completed the first phase of the start-up of the company including having adequate financing and a highly competent and enthusiastic staff team, FHFL is now well placed to address the affordable home ownership needs of Nigerians.
With the commitment of the administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that Nigerians on low income have access to a home of their own, the Family Homes Funds is delivering homes that are as low as N2m for the starter units across the country. Recently, 1,000 of those homes were commissioned and handed over, with an expectation for another 2,200 in the coming months.
