Nigeria Calls for Global Unity to Address Urbanization Challenges Amid Global Shifts
Nigeria’s government has called for innovative solutions and enhanced international cooperation to tackle the pressing urban development challenges in light of global shifts. During the opening session of the 2025 UN-Habitat executive board meeting in Nairobi, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, emphasized the need for collective action to address the growing threats posed by geopolitical and economic changes that may hinder progress on sustainable urbanization.
The session, which marks a critical point in global urban development, highlighted the need to rethink UN-Habitat’s strategies for a more effective future. Nigeria’s Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, underscored that reimagining urban policies is necessary to ensure they align with the rapidly evolving global landscape. He pointed out that urban growth is accelerating, with 68% of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050.
Urbanization in developing nations is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and economic instability. At the same time, infrastructure and environmental systems are struggling to cope with the pressures of rising populations in cities. Kenya’s Minister for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Hon. Alice Wahome, warned that current trends in urban growth could overwhelm existing systems if immediate action is not taken.
UN-Habitat’s Executive Director, Anaclaudia Rossbach, presented grim statistics, revealing that only 12% of Sustainable Development Goals are on track, while more than 30% have stalled. Rossbach also highlighted the harsh reality that 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements, 300 million are homeless, and there is a $5 trillion annual financing gap for urban development. These challenges require urgent global action and cooperation to ensure sustainable, resilient urban futures.
Source: Leadership