The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, has assured Nigerians that no critical records or customer data were lost in the recent fire incident at the headquarters of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in Abuja.
The minister gave the assurance on Tuesday after inspecting the extent of damage caused by the fire, which affected part of the bank’s headquarters on Saturday.
Minister Confirms Bank Operations Unaffected
Leading a delegation of ministry officials to the site, Darma expressed gratitude that no lives were lost during the incident.
He received briefings from the bank’s management and technical staff on the suspected cause of the fire, the level of damage and measures put in place to ensure uninterrupted banking operations.
According to the minister, the fire was confined to a section of the second floor, while preliminary findings point to an electrical fault. He added that investigations by relevant authorities are still ongoing.
Cloud Backup Protected Customer Records
Darma commended FMBN for digitising its operations, noting that the bank’s cloud-based backup system preserved all critical customer records and operational data.
“I’m convinced by the management that nothing is really lost except the physical structure of the building,” he said.
The minister added that the digitised system ensured only physical documents were affected by the fire.
He urged Nigerians to continue doing business with the bank, assuring them that services have not been disrupted.
Negligence Will Be Sanctioned
The minister stated that anyone found negligent after the conclusion of investigations would be held accountable.
He also directed the bank to strengthen internal safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
FG Reaffirms Housing Commitment
Darma reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding access to affordable housing, saying reforms at FMBN would improve mortgage delivery nationwide.
He said the government remains committed to delivering the 100,000 housing units promised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu within four years.
The minister also disclosed that FMBN has been directed to improve its internal processes to increase mortgage access to about 2,000 mortgages annually.
Meanwhile, the management of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria confirmed that the institution remains fully operational and is cooperating with relevant authorities investigating the cause of the fire.
