The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, has assured Nigerians that no critical records or customer information were lost during the recent FMBN fire incident at the headquarters of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in Abuja.
The minister gave the assurance after inspecting the affected sections of the bank’s headquarters, where he also received detailed briefings from the bank’s management on the cause of the fire, the extent of the damage and measures taken to ensure uninterrupted operations.
Leading a delegation of senior ministry officials to the scene on Tuesday, Darma expressed gratitude that no lives were lost in the fire outbreak, which occurred on Saturday.
According to the minister, preliminary findings indicate that the blaze was confined to a section of the building’s second floor and may have been triggered by an electrical fault. He, however, noted that a comprehensive investigation by relevant experts is still underway. Darma warned that anyone found negligent after the conclusion of the investigation would face appropriate sanctions.
“Anyone found negligent in the discharge of their duties, following the conclusion of investigations, will be held accountable,” he said.
The minister commended the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for fully digitising its operations, revealing that the institution’s cloud-based backup system successfully preserved all critical customer records and operational data.
According to him, only physical documents stored within the affected offices were destroyed by the fire. “I’m convinced by the management that nothing is really lost, except the physical structure of the building,” Darma stated.
He explained that officials demonstrated how customer records remained accessible through the bank’s cloud infrastructure.
“I came to the computer room and they showed me the records saved on the cloud. They have actually digitised their entire system, and the fire consumed only the paperwork that was there,” he added.
The minister reassured customers that banking operations remain fully functional despite the incident. “I assure Nigerians that they should continue to patronise the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. The bank is fully operational and services have not been disrupted.”
Beyond addressing the FMBN fire incident, Darma reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding affordable housing across the country. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu’s pledge to deliver 100,000 housing units within four years would be fulfilled.
“I assure Nigerians that the 100,000 housing units Mr. President promised in four years will come to pass, and we will tell every single person exactly where those housing units are,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that the Federal Government has directed FMBN to strengthen its internal systems to increase mortgage accessibility.
According to him, ongoing reforms are expected to enable the bank to process about 2,000 mortgages annually, improving access to home ownership for Nigerians. Meanwhile, FMBN management confirmed that the bank remains open for business and continues to cooperate fully with relevant authorities investigating the cause of the fire.
