UCLGA Africities 2015 Summit to discuss urban, economic development

Lagos, home of the highly esteemed scholar and godfather of urbanisation, Professor Akin Mabogunje, and home to the continent’s largest and most populace city, hosted the Africities 2015 Press Launch on Friday 6th November at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja GRA. 

 

: Chief executive Officer, Mediatek Global Services Limited, Mr. Dotun Solanke; Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, Mr. Jean-Pierre Elong- Mbassi; Senior Manager, Corporate Services, Strategic Solution Media Limited, Mrs. Omotayo Adeyemo; and Director, Urban Inclusion West Africa, Mrs. Em Ekong, during a media interaction on the forthcoming Africities 7 Forum in South Africa, organized by UCLGA, in Lagos…on Fri

At the event, Secretary General, Jean-Pierre Elong-Mbassi of the United Cities of Local Governments in Africa (UCLGA) officially announced the launch of its flagship event, the Africities 2015 Summit to be held this year at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 29th November to 3rd  December.

United Cities of Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) is the representative head of local governments across the continent. Inspired by a passion to see the principles of Pan-Africanism fully realised, “to promote unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation amongst African people and African States,” UCLGA was awarded status by the African Union in 2005, as the representative body for all African local governments.

Front row}Chief Executive Officer, Cotosearch.Com Limited, Prof. Johnson Bade Falade; Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, Mr. Jean-Pierre Elong- Mbassi; representative of Spaces for Change, Miss Ndutimobong Enang;  Chief executive Officer, Mediatek Global Services Limited, Mr. Dotun Solanke (Back row) Directors, Urban Inclusion West africa, Mrs. Em Ekong and Mrs. Michelle McKenzie; , during a press conference on the forthcoming Africities 7 Forum in South Africa, organized by UCLGA, in Lagos…on Fri

With a vision of, “building the unity of Africa from, and promoting its development through the grassroots,” UCLGA’s dedication throughout its history has been driven by its commitment to the empowerment of local people in local communities and their participation in the development of Africa and its governance. Its campaign for the decentralisation of power, referred to as, ‘the second liberation of the continent,’ as well as its advocacy for citizenship through participation and collaboration, best practice and transparency in local government, is the UCLGA hallmark. The Africities Summit, highly regarded as UCLGA’s flagship event, is now a permanent feature on the political calendar for all local governments across Africa.

Held every three years, the Africities Summit, now in its 7th edition, will be hosted this year by the City of Johannesburg. The Summit will create a platform for tackling issues affecting urban and economic development across the continent with a sharp focus on collaborative partnerships, best practices, innovative and strategic thinking and solutions to the challenges of development and urbanisation.

With more than 5,000 participants expected from across Africa and the globe, and over 25 Open Sessions for stakeholders ranging from The World Bank on one side, to Slum Dwellers on the other, the theme of this year’s summit is "Shaping the Future of Africa with the People: Africa's Local Government Contribution to the Africa 2063 Vision." The Summit will be host to local and national government officials, Heads of State, economists, city and financial planners and investors and stakeholders.

High on the agenda at the Summit will be the accelerating pace of urbanisation and migration, the urbanisation of poverty, and the disproportionate level of poverty and under development in Africa. Other topics to be explored will include: public transport, urban agriculture, informal trading, neighbourhood development, green buildings, parks and open spaces, and public safety in urban settings.

“Unless people are capacitated to own their own lives, to take part in the governance of their own lives, you cannot say that your country is liberated. This is why decentralisation and empowering local people is so critical. We thought it was good to celebrate the coming up of local authorities as the expression of the voice of the local people. We thought it was important to overcome the divide inherited by colonisation ... so we came together to say we are going to stop it; we are going to participate at the local level to unite this continent and we are going to work towards the empowerment of local people to take control of their lives... This is how Africities was born.” - Jean-Pierre Elong-Mbassi – Secretary General of UCLG Africa

"This event has developed into a premier showcase of tried and tested developmental innovations by local governments and cities of our continent. It plays an increasingly important role in creating discourse, dialogue and debate on African cities." -  Councillor Mpho Parks Tau - Executive Mayor of Johannesburg

“The situation in sub-Saharan Africa deserves special attention both because the region presently has the fastest rate of urbanization in the world but also because, unlike elsewhere in the world, the incidence of poverty continues to deepen in most countries of the region” - Professor Akin L. Mabogunje – Urbanist and Geographer

“Africities is probably the most important continental gathering for people involved in local government in Africa.” - Mike Davis – IAI Coordinator for Anglophone Africa

Chief Executive Officer, Cotosearch.Com Limited, Prof. Johnson Bade Falade; Secretary General, United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, Mr. Jean-Pierre Elong- Mbassi; and representative of Spaces for Change, Miss Ndutimobong Enang, with representatives of displaced Badia Community (back row), during a press conference on the forthcoming Africities 7 Forum in South Africa, organized by UCLGA, in Lagos…on Fri

“Africities in Johannesburg is a very timely meeting. We’re right in the face of this challenge of intensifying urbanisation right across Africa. It’s not just the big megacities; it’s right across the size range, and we need a step change in seriousness about how to manage the cities...“ - Clare Short – Chair of Cities Alliance Policy Advisory Board

“Cities are definitely the future of Africa, but not any city, but the city we want, and the city I think you all want. You should be all involved in building partnerships, in opening platforms for dialogue if you want to build the cities for all.” - Serge Allou – Lead Urban Specialist for Cities Alliance

“We have to radically rethink urban institutions and urban governments so that we move beyond the role of just traditional service providers for urban infrastructure but as entrepreneurs as building human capacity and training...” - Dr. Caroline Kihato – Senior Researcher, School of Architecture and Planning, University of Witwatersrand