The UN-Habitat says the Third Regional Meeting for the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) will address the housing challenges faced by the continent.
Joan Clos, the Executive Director, UN-Habitat, said in an Op-Ed titled: “The Future of Africa is Urban”, on Tuesday explained that the Abuja conference was strategic to the future of Africa and its citizens.
Clos said charting a way forward to address Africa’s housing deficit would be the focal point of the conference this week.
Clos, who is also the Secretary-General of Habitat III, said the Regional Meeting of Feb. 24 to 26, is being hosted at Abuja, under the auspices of the Federal Government.
“While we are entering the final straight towards Habitat III, it is important to assess what is at stake for Africa in this global debate.
“First is the fact that the future of Africa is inevitably urban.
“Although Africa is the least urbanised continent in the world, its urbanisation rates are nowadays higher than anywhere else.
“The continent’s population growth is projected to double from one billion in 2010 to two billion in 2040, with an accelerated transition from rural to urban population,” she said.
He explained that inseparable from urban population growth was the evidence that cities would form the backdrop to unprecedented urbanisation in Africa in the next coming years.
“Cities, if well planned and designed, will constitute one of the most significant boosts to economic and social prosperity ever seen.
“The economic transition from the primary sector of the economy, traditionally agriculture and extractive industries, towards more productive sectors of the economy, mainly industrial manufacturing and services, will largely depend on African urbanisation,” it read in part.
Clos noted the commitment of the African leaders to promote an African Urban Agenda that would position the continent in the lead of the transformations, in line with Agenda 2063.
“Visionary leaders across the continent share our vision of sustainable urbanisation, which goes to the core of the UN Agenda 2030. More specifically is the Goal 11, which considers urbanisation a source of economic growth, social prosperity and environmental sustainability,” he said.
He said the conference would also afford the continent the opportunity to take a concerted position ahead of the UN-Habitat III conference scheduled for Quito, Ecuador in October.
The UN official said what is at stake in Abuja and in Habitat III in Quito is the well-being of millions of Africans.
“I commend the Nigerian authorities for hosting us and for launching such an important debate at a crucial moment for urbanisation.
“Nigeria has the good fortune of counting on the expertise of Minister of Environment, Ms Amina Mohammed, who has been a key to the gestation of the new global agenda,” he said.
According to him, well-planned and designed urbanisation in Africa can be an essential part of the solutions to many of the challenges facing the continent today.
“Such as inefficient transport, pollution, unemployment and social exclusion. I encourage African leaders to take an active part in Abuja and in Quito for Habitat III to transmit Africa’s experience on using urbanisation as a force for positive economic and social development.
“Africa has a lot to offer to the world,” he said.
