Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ark. Mr. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa called on African countries to intensify their efforts in implementing the New Urban Agenda initiative.
Speaking at the African Ministerial Meeting of the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo, Egypt, Dangiwa highlighted the critical need for sustainable urban development across Africa and affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving these goals through collaborative action, innovative financing and strong public-private partnerships.
The African Ministerial Meeting was attended by Ministers of Housing, Land and Urban Development from a number of African countries, including Uganda, Lesotho, Zambia and Eswatini, who shared progress reports on their countries’ progress in implementing the New Cities Agenda.
Additionally, housing development finance institutions, including Shelter African Development Bank, actively participated in the discussions, highlighting the importance of financial partnerships in promoting sustainable urbanization across the continent.
In a statement on Thursday signed by Special Assistant on Media and Strategy Mark Chieshe, Dangiwa in his speech highlighted the unified stance adopted by African countries at the recent African Cities Forum in Addis Ababa, where they committed to urgently achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 and aligning it with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
“Member States must continue to develop and implement comprehensive national plans that integrate infrastructure, environmental management and economic growth to transform cities into engines of prosperity,” he said.
A key part of the resolutions at the forum was the importance of establishing national urban forums across Africa. These forums aim to foster stakeholder dialogue towards strengthening Member States’ national policies on urban planning, climate resilience and economic inclusion, and strengthen Africa’s capacity to meet urban challenges through the African Urban Resilience Program (AURP).
The Minister also reiterated the need for transparent financial mechanisms and urged financial institutions to design innovative financing models that address low-income housing and promote sustainable economic growth.
He pointed to Nigeria’s partnership with Shelter African Development Bank (ShafDB) to mobilize concessional finance to fill Africa’s urban development financing gap as an example from other countries.
Mr. Dangiwa also shared recent initiatives in Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, such as the Renewable Cities and Estates Program, which aims to provide 100,000 housing units across the country.
Nigeria’s sustainable urban development efforts include the IFC EDGE partnership, which promotes green building practices, urban renewal projects, and slum remediation, demonstrating an integrated approach to strengthening urban environments.
