The Federal Government of Nigeria has been urged to remit a total of N12 billion in loans deducted from workers’ salaries without delay.
The Humanity Development and Empowerment Organisation (HDEO), a money lenders association, emphasized the urgency of this remittance due to the economic hardships faced by workers.
The association highlighted that the loans were deducted from civil servants’ payslips and salaries but were not credited to the lenders.
During a leadership handover ceremony in Abuja, the outgoing National President, Osita Nebolisa, revealed that these loans remain unremitted. He tasked the newly elected executives, led by National President Mr. Dele Apanisile, to prioritize resolving this issue with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Nebolisa expressed his disappointment at not recovering the N12 billion deducted loan before the end of his tenure and urged members to support the new executive in ensuring the recovery of the loan. He stated, “The incoming leadership, consisting largely of experienced members from the current team, brings valuable continuity to this effort. To those few who may have reservations, I appeal for unified support of their strategies to retrieve these funds and prevent future losses through the IPPIS deduction system.”
During his tenure from November 2022 to November 2024, Nebolisa, the founder of Visa Microfinance Bank Ltd, noted that over N6.2 billion in loans were provided to more than 2,400 federal civil servants. He also highlighted the signing of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in 2023, which established a framework for equitable access to credit while protecting stakeholders’ interests.
The new executives have pledged to build on the achievements of the past administration.
The association, a coalition of financial institutions including commercial banks, microfinance banks, and finance companies, works collectively to promote equitable lending practices and financial inclusion for Nigeria’s workforce.