The Federal Government has approved a ₦10 billion housing loan scheme to help civil servants achieve home ownership, according to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack.
She made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja, noting that the initiative will be delivered through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board.
The scheme, she explained, is designed to improve worker stability and productivity by making it easier for civil servants to own homes.
“The Federal Government has approved a ₦10 billion housing loan scheme to improve access to home ownership for civil servants. This loan will be facilitated through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board,” she said.
Walson-Jack emphasized that home ownership can have a strong impact on morale and performance.
“There is a saying that a person who owns their own home stands differently. When a civil servant knows that their family has a place they can call their own, they come to work with a different swagger — with more stability, more focus and more purpose,” she added.
She described the programme as part of a broader reform vision focused on strengthening the civil service.
“What you are witnessing is not simply a welfare package; it is a philosophy. It is the operating belief of this administration that a well-supported civil servant is a more effective civil servant, and a more effective civil service delivers a stronger Nigeria,” she said.
Alongside the housing scheme, she highlighted ongoing efforts to modernise the public service through digital transformation.
“We are simultaneously building the civil service of tomorrow — a service that is digital and paperless, efficient and transparent, accountable and innovation-driven,” she stated.
Walson-Jack also reiterated her commitment to improving both the welfare and capacity of civil servants, while stressing the importance of collaboration across government institutions.
She pointed to contributions from agencies such as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Budget Office of the Federation, and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
“This is the power of collaboration across government — not working in silos, but institutions working in concert, each contributing its statutory mandate towards a shared national purpose,” Walson-Jack said.
She urged ministries, departments and agencies to sustain this approach across all areas of governance.
Looking ahead to Workers’ Day, she said this year’s celebration carries added meaning for civil servants.
“For the first time in a long time, civil servants can point to concrete, contemporaneous evidence that their contributions are valued at the highest levels,” she said.
She added that the occasion should serve as a moment to reaffirm commitments to workers’ welfare.
“Workers’ Day is not just about remembering the struggles of the past; it is about renewing the promise for the future — that those who serve this nation will be treated with justice, fairness and gratitude,” she said.
Walson-Jack concluded by recognising the dedication and resilience of civil servants across the country.
“To every civil servant, this is your time, your moment, your season of recognition, reward and renewed purpose. The sacrifices you have made the long hours, the professionalism exercised even in difficult circumstances have not been invisible,” she added.
