An eight-man delegation from Niger State in Nigeria led by the Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Isa Ladan, visited the head offices of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in Nairobi, Kenya from November 27 to 29, 2017 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the New Urban Agenda. The MoU ceremony was witnessed by the Nigerian Ambassador to Kenya, Sheidu Omeiza Momoh.
The parties discussed and agreed to foster the cooperation through the following projects.
- A Niger State Urban Development Policy (based on the National Urban Development Policy)
- Development of an integrated development plan for Minna and Suleja
- Development of a plan for a new smart town in Sutlej
- Technical Support provided to Niger State on various issues
- Development of a public space surrounding River Iku in Sutlej
“Today marks a very important milestone in the effort of my administration to lay a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the state and for creating compact, connected, socially inclusive and self-sustaining towns and cities, through this technical urban assistance programme between UN-Habitat and Niger State,” said Ibrahim Isa Ladan.
Further, he extended his appreciation to UN-Habitat for securing a grant from the South Korean government to develop the State Urban Policy.
In her statement, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, noted that the new collaboration would ensure the opportunities available in Niger State in terms of land area, power generation, agriculture and proximity to the national capital, Abuja, are maximised. She further commended Niger State for taking the lead in enacting a Sub-National Urban Policy. She also highlighted the support of the Nigerian Government in helping develop the “Africa Common Position on Habitat III”.
Both speeches were followed by the signing ceremony at 11am (Nairobi time).
Prior to the signing ceremony, the delegation made a detailed presentation where they expanded on their urban challenges and opportunities inviting UN-Habitat’s expertise to assist. Several bilateral meetings with the delegation were also held.
The visit ended with the delegation visiting Nairobi County’s Ministry of Land & Urban Planning and also the administration headquarters of Konza Techno City to learn from good practices on governance and smart city planning.
