FMBN Fire: No critical records, customer data lost, Minister assures Nigerians

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

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 fire incident that affected a section of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) headquarters in Abuja on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba.

The Minister gave the assurance on Tuesday during an inspection of the affected section of the Bank’s headquarters, where he received a briefing from the management and electrical  personnel on the incident, the extent of the damage and measures taken to ensure uninterrupted operations.

He said the fire was contained to a section of the second floor of the building, adding that preliminary findings indicated it was most likely caused by an technical fault, although investigations by relevant experts were still ongoing.

Darma stressed that anyone found negligent in the discharge of their duties would be held accountable after the conclusion of the investigations.

He commended the Bank’s successful digital transformation, noting that its cloud based data backup system protected critical records and ensured uninterrupted access to customer information and operational documents.

“I’m convinced by the management that nothing is really lost, except the physical structure of the building.

“I came to the computer room and they showed me the records saved on the cloud”, the Minister said.

He  reassured that the Bank remained fully operational despite the incident.

“They have actually digitised their entire system, and the fire consumed only the paperwork that was there. I assure Nigerians that they should continue to patronise the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria,” he said.

The Minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding access to affordable housing, saying ongoing reforms at FMBN would strengthen mortgage delivery and support the achievement of the administration’s housing targets.

“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.

He disclosed that the Federal Government had directed FMBN to strengthen its internal processes and institutional framework to improve operational efficiency and expand access to mortgages.

“As part of the policy reformulation of the Bank, we have asked FMBN to look into its internal arrangements and improve mortgage access to about 2,000 mortgages in a year,” he stated.

According to the statement, the bank remains fully operational and continues to provide uninterrupted services to contributors, mortgage customers and other stakeholders while working with relevant authorities on the ongoing investigation into the incident.