· The Yaoundé Declaration aims to address the continent’s affordable housing crisis
African Ministers and Heads of Delegation of Ministers for Housing and Urban Development, African Ministers of Finance, Directors and Managers of Shelter Africa, representatives of international, regional and national institutions, the private sector and civil society agreed to strengthen mechanisms to mass produce decent and affordable housing on the African continent to achieve socio-economic development.
In a communiqué called the “Yaoundé Declaration” issued at the 40th Shelter Africa Annual Conference held in Yaoundé Cameroon from 21 to 24 June 2021, participants resolved to address the challenges hindering efforts to provide decent and affordable housing in Africa.
In relation to the declaration, Andrew Chimunder, Managing Director and CEO of Shelter Afrik Group, added that the Yaoundé Declaration turned a new page in Africa’s quest for housing for all, and praised the participants for taking a “bold step”.
“According to a study by Shelter Afrik’s Center of Excellence (CoE), the housing deficit across Africa is estimated at 56 million units, of which more than 90 per cent are in affordable housing. Solutions to solving this shortage are a combination of governments, multilateral agencies, non-profit organizations and the private sector. “I am pleased that the Yaounde Declaration has been achieved, highlighting some of these challenges and that all stakeholders, including the government, are willing to address the shortage as a matter of urgency,” Chimunder said.
housing crisis
Most African countries are currently facing a housing crisis due to high population growth, increasing urbanization, poor urban planning, dysfunctional land markets, rising construction costs, the proliferation of informal settlements, and underdeveloped financial systems.
The Declaration covers in detail issues of leadership and governance, policy and law, coordination, land systems, finance and taxation, capacity building, and the introduction of new building technologies.
“Effective policies and laws are critical to addressing all these challenges, including quality control in the supply of decent and affordable housing, provision of housing for vulnerable groups, land tenure systems, construction technology implementation and even financing. That is why, as we look forward to the next 40 years of affordable housing, we have decided on 40 years of housing policy for Africa as the theme of our 40th Annual General Meeting,” said Mr Chimunder.
To ensure the implementation of the resolutions contained in the Declaration, delegates appointed a six-person team as facilitators, headed by Shelter Africa Legal Director Ms. Huda Boudrali and UN-Habitat Regional Advisor Dr. Claude Albert Muchehe Ngomsi.
They will be supported by Dr. Muhammad Gumbo, Head of Policy, Research and Partnerships at Shelter Afrik, and Edmond Azikpe, Regional Business Manager, Shelter Afrik, as rapporteurs, and Natasha Koli, Company Secretary, Shelter Afrik Ag., and Babatunde Oyateru, Head of Communications and External Affairs, Shelter Afrik, will serve as members.
Each Member State should nominate an interlocutor to report on the implementation of the recommendations to the members of the Monitoring Group, who will report on the implementation status of the resolution at the next session of the 41st Shelter Africa Assembly in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The participating Member States that passed the resolution adopting the Declaration included Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
