Emmanuel Ade in Abuja
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Ahmed Dangiwa, has been unanimously elected as the first Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Group of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development.
The decision was taken by Shelter African Development Bank (ShafDB) shareholders at the institution’s 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Symposium in Kigali, Rwanda, the bank’s spokesperson Mark Chiesche said in a statement yesterday.
The African Housing and Urban Development Ministers’ Meeting, which Mr. Dangiwa led during his tenure as the Bank’s 42nd General Meeting Chairman, was formally approved by ShafDB’s shareholders and began on Thursday, June 13, the closing day of the World Bank’s 43rd General Meeting.
It is designed to provide a platform for ministers to collaborate, share knowledge, develop policies and financing strategies, and strengthen efforts to provide sustainable and affordable housing solutions in their respective countries.
Furthermore, the aim is to leverage the unique experience and resources of member countries and create synergies by leveraging the collective strengths of member countries to address Africa’s common housing challenges.
“Specifically, the caucus fosters dialogue and information sharing by promoting best practices in housing policy, regulation, and implementation.
“It will help identify common challenges and opportunities in the housing sector, develop effective strategies for collective action, and explore ways to mobilize resources and expertise from international partners, private sector stakeholders, and development organizations to support housing initiatives,” the statement said.
Additionally, the caucus will serve as a continental advocacy platform for prioritizing the housing sector among national governments and bilateral and multilateral institutions.
Following his election, Mr. Dangiwa said the establishment of the African Housing and Urban Development Ministers’ Fiscal Caucus represents a unique opportunity to galvanize collective action and accelerate progress towards inclusive and sustainable housing development in Africa.
“I am thrilled that shareholders not only considered and approved my proposal to create a caucus, but also appointed me as its first chair.
“We are committed to doing our best. By fostering collaboration, fostering innovation and mobilizing resources, we can transform the continent’s housing landscape and significantly improve the quality of life for millions of our citizens.”
“As Africans, it is important to recognize that we are one. We have a common continent, we have a common destiny and our progress or backwardness is reflected in all of us. Therefore, we must intentionally support ourselves to make unified progress across all sectors.”
“As far as housing and urban development is concerned, it is up to us and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development will ensure that we move forward together,” he said.
As Chair, Mr. Dangiwa will lead and coordinate the activities of the caucus and encourage participants to look forward to significant outcomes from the caucus.
“This includes enhanced collaboration and knowledge exchange leading to innovative housing policies and strategies, and increased investment in affordable housing projects supported by international donor and private sector partnerships.
“It will also improve access to decent and affordable housing for low-income groups, contributing to poverty reduction and social inclusion.
“I also believe that it will lead to stronger institutional capacity and regulatory frameworks to sustainably address housing issues, as well as increased awareness and advocacy for housing issues, and will help place housing issues as a priority on the regional and international development agenda,” he added.
ShafDB is a pan-African housing finance institution whose shareholders include 44 African governments, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa-Re).
