Expectations are high within the housing industry in Nigeria and abroad as Nigeria’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, leads a new initiative towards sustainable housing in Africa.
Mr. Dangiwa was recently elected as the inaugural Chair of the African Housing and Urban Development Ministers Financial Executive Group. Mr. Dangiwa’s election was decided by Shelter African Development Bank (ShafDB) shareholders at the institution’s 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Symposium held in Kigali, Rwanda.
The African Housing and Urban Development Ministers’ Conference was an initiative proposed by Mr. Dangiwa during his tenure as the 42nd Director of the World Bank’s General Assembly, and was formally approved and launched by the General Assembly.
The caucus aims to provide a collaborative platform for African ministers to share knowledge and develop policies and financing strategies for sustainable and affordable housing solutions.
By leveraging the collective strengths and unique experiences of member countries, the Caucus aims to effectively address Africa’s common housing challenges. This fosters dialogue and information sharing and promotes best practices in housing policy, regulation and implementation.
This 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.
According to Chiche, the caucus will serve as a continental advocacy platform to prioritize housing issues among national governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions.
Following his election, Mr Dangiwa expressed his enthusiasm for the establishment of the caucus, highlighting its potential to accelerate progress towards inclusive and sustainable housing development in Africa.
“I am thrilled that the shareholders not only considered and approved my proposal to create a caucus, but also appointed me as its first chair. I pledge to do my 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. ” he said.
Expected outcomes include enhanced collaboration and knowledge exchange leading to innovative housing policies and strategies, and increased investment in affordable housing projects supported by international donors and private sector partnerships.
The caucus is also expected to strengthen institutional capacity and regulatory frameworks to sustainably address housing issues, raise awareness and advocacy on housing issues, and place housing issues as a priority on the regional and international development agenda.
Shelter African Development Bank (ShafDB) is a pan-African housing finance institution with shareholders from 44 African governments, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa-Re).
