The federal government and the International Women Communication Centre (IWCC), under the UN Habitat World Urban Campaign have expressed the readiness to collaborate to promote and strengthen the UN-Habitat intervention programmes and projects in Nigeria.
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Gwarzo gave this assurance when he received a delegation from the IWCC, led by its executive director, Dr Hajiya Limoto Goroso Giwa on a courtesy visit to the ministry in Abuja.
IWCC is a UN-Habitat stakeholder organisation founded by a group of women rights activists with the mandate to disseminate the implementation of the UN-Habitat agenda at the community level, protects and promotes women rights and carry out advocacy activities.
In his remarks, Gwarzo reiterated the primary mandate of the ministry to provide adequate and affordable housing in both urban and rural areas in a secure, healthy and decent environment for all Nigerians.
He stated that the ministry plans to bring the mandate to reality through multi-stakeholder and institutional engagements, alongside collaborations with both local and international development partners
“The ministry is therefore a willing partner and ready to find mutually beneficial points of collaboration with your organization for the greater good of our country and citizens,” he said
Accordingly, Gwarzo recalled the inauguration of the Habitat Advisory Committee in October 2022, stressing on their responsibilities to assess the progress and current status in the implementation the New Urban Agenda and related targets of SDGs and advise the Ministry on the way forward; to facilitate the preparation of the Voluntary National Report on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the related SDGs in Nigeria, among others.
Earlier, the executive director of the IWCC, Dr Goroso Giwa, expressed happiness that Nigeria is taking the lead in the UN-Habitat, being the chair of the executive board.
