A Non-Governmental Organisation, the World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation, WHAF, has concluded arrangements to partner with NEPAD Nigeria in its plans to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable human settlements across Nigeria in line with the United Nations Habitat core value of delivering the Sustainable Development Goals 11.
Project Director of the group, Amb. Hillary Emoh, who revealed the above, Friday, at NEPAD Nigeria when he, alongside other members of the Organisation, visited the NEPAD Nigeria CEO, Princess Gloria Akobundu, told media men that, given the global reach of NEPAD and its mandate of seeking to make life better for the African people, a partnership in the area of building sustainable urban settlements was one in the right direction.
The World Habitat Ambassador said Africa was in dire need of sustainable cities that seek to meet the vision of the United Nations’ goals in the public housing sector and called on NEPAD Nigeria to take advantage of the activities of his Foundation in the area to increase awareness on the challenges that exist in the sector, while also joining the group to mobilise energy and diversify resources to improve the situation on ground.
In his words, Emoh explained: “We have seen what NEPAD Nigeria CEO is doing in the Agency since she came into office. We have, therefore, come to request her and the Agency to extend their vision to the housing sector as our Foundation is doing. Only recently, we have concentrated our energy and finances on building and rehabilitating selected schools across the FCT and the neighbouring States. Our products are built to last with materials that can easily be sourced from our local communities and we are inviting NEPAD Nigeria to come and partner with us to increase awareness on what we are doing and to use its reach to improve our funding base”.
According to Emoh, the group was not resting on its oars in the area of funds mobilisation for its projects. It was, therefore, in line with the above that a Gala and Award Dinner tagged World Habitat Humanitarian and Philanthropic Awards for Excellence has been scheduled for October this year to recognise and celebrate individuals and institutions, who have made remarkable marks in some fields of human endeavours and acts of philanthropy. This, he said, was in order to raise awareness and funds to sustain projects already initiated by the Foundation, which are on various stages of completion.
The World Habitat Ambassadors Foundation is an NGO that is committed to working in tandem with the United Nations Habitat core values. It is dedicated to achieving the set-goal for urban development, the SDG11, which calls to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The Organisation has offices across Nigeria.
Nkem Anyata-Lafia
NEPAD Nigeria
September 9, 2017.