The State Chapter is the IMBL’s presence in a state of the federation or the FCT. It is not a branch office of the National Secretariat — it is an autonomous institutional unit, established and elected by its members, supervised by the National Secretariat but governed locally.

The objectives of every State Chapter, fixed by the National Executive Council:

1. Promote business expansion and growth of IMBL membership in the state.
2. Promote communication and professional development among practitioners.
3. Promote the publication and use of evidence by licensed property, mortgage, and real estate professionals.
4. Provide advice to the profession in dealings with state government agencies, financial institutions, and other professionals.
5. Provide members with networking and continuing education opportunities through CPD, seminars, and tutorials.
6. Increase the visibility and reputation of IMBL across the state.

These six objectives are the lens for every chapter decision. When in doubt about whether to undertake a particular activity, ask: which of these six objectives does it serve?

A State Chapter qualifies to be established in a state when there are at least twenty-five (25) financial members of the Institute resident in the state, including a minimum of five (5) professional or certified financial members, at any point in time.

Chapter naming follows a fixed format: “Institute of Mortgage Brokers and Lenders (IMBL) [State] Chapter“. The chapter is not styled with any creative variant.

A founding committee of at least five (5) IMBL members is responsible for establishing the chapter. The founding committee drafts the chapter’s constitution and operating procedures, subject to approval by the National Executive Council.

Chapter membership represents a diverse range of stakeholders within the mortgage industry:

• Real estate brokers
• Real estate agents
• Land agents
• Property agents
• Mortgage brokers
• Mortgage lenders and loan officers
• Mortgage appraisers
• Mortgage-backed security analysts, traders, and administrators
• Mortgage underwriters
• Mortgage insurers
• Allied affiliates

A healthy chapter has all of these categories represented in its membership.

The State Chapter Executive Committee comprises six elected officers:

All six are elected by the financial members of the Institute at the chapter in an election supervised by the National Secretariat.

Eligibility for election: Any member of the chapter who is a financial member of the Institute, resides in the state, and practises there is eligible for election.

Tenure: Two (2) years, renewable for two (2) tenures. The same person may serve up to 4 consecutive years in a single office before standing down.

Code of Ethics: All elected officials are required to comply with the IMBL Code of Ethics and Conduct (Appendix A1).

Supervisory authority: The National Secretariat of IMBL has supervisory authority over each state chapter — meaning chapter decisions of national consequence are subject to National Secretariat review.

The State Chapter Executive Committee convenes periodically in accordance with the timetable specified in IMBL’s bylaws. Regular assemblies of all chapter members should also be conducted at appropriate intervals (typically quarterly) to deliberate on significant issues and ensure active member participation.

Membership of the State Chapter includes all paid-up members of the Institute engaged in land/property, real estate, and mortgage work within the state. Membership qualifications, dues, and benefits align with the Institute’s overall rules and standards.

The State Chapter’s membership drive is one of its most important continuing operations. The Operational Guidelines target specific institutional and professional groups for outreach:

State Government Agencies. Build close partnership with:

• Ministry of Lands (or Lands and Housing, depending on state)
• Ministry of Survey, where separate
• Urban or Metropolitan Development Boards
• Local Government Authority land offices (LGAs)

The Land Use Act of 1978 vests authority over land in the state Governor, so productive relationships with these agencies are foundational. The institutional goal is a state-level regulatory framework requiring IMBL certification of practitioners doing business with the state — generating internally generated revenue (IGR) for the state, transparency for transactions, and visibility for the Institute.

Geographic Information System (GIS) Centres. State-level GIS bodies — Kaduna State Geographical Information Systems (KADGIS), Nasarawa State Geographical Information Systems (NAGIS), Akwa Ibom Geographical Information System (AkwaGIS), and equivalents in other states — play a critical role in land titling, property mapping, and urban planning. State Chapters should work with both management and staff of these centres.

Private Sector Practitioners. Individuals and associations of:

• Land agents
• Property agents
• Real estate agents
• Mortgage brokers and loan officers
• Multi-purpose cooperative officers offering financial services to members

These professionals are typically the largest source of new chapter members.

Tertiary Institutions. Under the National Secretariat’s Membership & Compliance and Certification & Training Departments, State Chapters recruit:

• Faculty and academic staff in allied disciplines
• Final-year and semi-final-year students in architecture, building, real estate, finance, management, economics, banking, geography, urban and regional planning

A long-term institutional goal is establishing Mortgage Finance as an academic course at the state’s higher institutions.

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). State Chapters actively recruit fresh members from NYSC orientation centres and Community Development (CD) programmes:

• NYSC Orientation Camps: engage NYSC officials at state and LGA levels to deliver presentations during orientation programmes, highlighting career opportunities in mortgage broking and lending. Offer special membership packages for NYSC graduates (reduced dues, mentoring, exclusive resource access).
• NYSC Zonal Offices: partner with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to offer specialised training workshops; participate in NYSC career fairs.

NYSC outreach is a recurring annual cycle (two streams a year). State Chapters should plan ahead to maintain a presence at every camp.

The Operational Guidelines fix nine core activity areas for every State Chapter. A chapter that doesn’t have evidence of activity in each of these areas is not yet a healthy chapter.

1. Maintain a register of members in the state chapter, kept current.
2. Organise activities and events that enhance professional development.
3. Run seminars, workshops, and conferences on Nigerian mortgage practice topics.
4. Conduct Continuing Professional Development (CPD) — refresher training, regulatory updates, certification preparation.
5. Run public awareness and literacy campaigns about mortgage and homeownership.
6. Advocate for policies and regulations that benefit the mortgage industry and promote ethical practice in the state.
7. Establish and maintain a state secretariat and tutorial centre — physical office, library resources, examination preparation space.
8. Work with National Secretariat to accredit IMBL Tutorial Centres / Tutors in areas remote from the state secretariat.
9. Conduct the Institute’s examinations at the chapter’s examination centre (if approved by National Secretariat).

The library at the secretariat is built through donations from members, external stakeholders, partnerships, and grants from donor agencies or the IMBL National Secretariat. It should include both print and electronic resources.

Organising tutorial classes for examination candidates — keeping members updated on industry trends, regulations