Maduako Igbokwe l Monday, December 14, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced affordable housing scheme for 4000 members across the country with the aim of checking the spate of brain drain in the sector.
The national leadership of the association performed the groundbreaking ceremony at Isiagu Layout, Awka, capital of Anambra State on Monday.
Dr Uyilawa Okhuaibesuyi, National President of NARD said the housing scheme was in partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and Daniel-Bob Nigeria Ltd, an estate development company. Okhuaibesuyi said the leadership arrived at the conclusion that improving the working conditions of workers was not just about increasing their salaries but ensuring that their basic existential needs were met. The president said lack of accommodation was a major challenge for members.
“There is high rate of brain drain among Nigerian doctors and we worried about that, so this scheme has to do with accessing the National Housing Fund through FMBN with the aim of addressing the housing challenge of health sector workers.
“For the first phase we are targeting those who have indicated interest in the six zones of Nigeria. The dream of this leadership is to improve the welfare of members and check brain drain. We have a competent developer, Daniel-Bob Ltd who will help us to achieve this because he has done similar project which are verifiable, “ he said.
Also speaking, Dr Collins Iyelobu Chairman of NARD’s Housing Committee said the national body was trying to replicate the success at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Jabi where a similar scheme was used to secure houses for 65 staff.
Iyelobu said the estate in Anambra was for about 525 members and the second phase would start in the second quarter of 2021 while assuring that all the 16, 000 doctors in the association would be taken care of as they key-into the scheme.
He urged doctors and other health workers to take advantage of the opportunity the scheme provides while restating the confidence that the project would be delivered as agreed because of the credibility and track record of the developer involved.
“We have about 1,800 doctors in the southeast that constitute a large chunk of our membership, so that is why we decided to kick it off here. We are of the view that this descent and affordable housing opportunity will make those planning to leave the country as emigrant doctors to have a rethink,
“The prototype are in four variants including 3-bedroom terrace, 3-bedroom semi detached duplex, 4- bedroom semi detached and 4-bedroom fully detached all with boys quarters, the area measures about 15 hectares with beautiful environment, he said.
Chief Daniel Orji, Managing Director of Daniel-Bob Ltd said the groundbreaking ceremony was a milestone in the partnership and the beginning of better things to come the way of doctors across the country.
Orji said the estate would be equipped with basic facilities upon conclusion including good access and internal roads, water supply, police post, creche and schools as well as medical post. He lauded NARD for the initiative which he said would go a long way to addressing housing deficit while assuring that the project would be executed in line with best practices.
“We all know there is housing deficit in Nigeria, group efforts like this will help to address that and that is what Daniel-Bob is working at across the country.
“Already, Daniel-Bob is building for other institutions like police and other federal institutions, our mission is to collaborate with FMBN to access the NHF so that civil servants of can get decent and affordable accommodation,” he said.
Dr Christopher Adejo, first Vice President of NARD thanked the FMBN for helping members of the association to access their contributions in NHF adding that it was practically impossible for doctors to afford a descent house from their earnings.
