Nigeria emerges UN-Habitat Board Chair

Nigeria has emerged as Chair of the Executive Board, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).This was revealed, yesterday, after the meeting with the UN-Habitat Office and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Abuja.

Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo, on behalf of the Federal Government, accepted the position, assuring that Nigeria would accomplish the mission.

Gwarzo lauded the UN-Habitat and the African Group for the confidence reposed in Nigeria’s quality leadership and exemplary role in the implementation of the African Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda in the continent.

He acknowledged a notable milestone achieved in the human settlement sector in Nigeria since the establishment of the UN-Habitat Programme support office in 2003, saying it was the result of the robust collaboration between UN-Habitat and the Federal Government.

The minister reiterated the commitment of the ministry to execute its primary mandate of providing affordable housing in a secure, healthy and decent environment of both urban and rural areas for Nigerians, saying the partnership with UN-Habitat would ensure maximum results.

He also revealed the intention of the ministry to actualise its mandate through multi-stakeholder and institutional engagements as well as effective collaborations.

“This vision and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria are in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for housing and urban development in the country to improve the living conditions of citizens through Urban Renewal and the development of new towns,” he stated.

Earlier, the Leader of the UN-Habitat delegation, Mathias Spaliviero, felicitated with Gwarzo for the appointment of Nigeria as the executive board chair of UN-Habitat and formally presented the appointment letter to the Minister of State.

According to Spaliviero, the executive board is a board that comprises 40 to 50 member states, saddled with making decisions, accessing UN-Habitat progress according to the strategic plan, as well as making recommendations.

He disclosed that UN-Habitat provided technical support for the National Urban Development Policy and expressed commitment to further support the policy until approved.