Dar es Salaam, Monday 16th 2015 –The Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development (UONGOZI Institute) is set to hold a regional roundtable to engage urban leaders and decision-makers from the Eastern Africa region to deliberate about the challenges of urbanization and address the future of African cities.
The forum which is titled, ‘The future of Eastern African cities: how do we want to live in 2050’, will take place at the Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam,The Kilimanjaro Hotel on 19th and 20th February where the Prime Minister of The United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Mizengo Pinda (MP), will officially grace the event.
The Chief Executive Officer of UONGOZI Institute, Prof. Joseph Semboja said that the forum intends to look at and discuss the various challenges and opportunities presented by urbanization in the region and how African leaders can tackle themin an inclusive manner.
“An increasing proportion of Africa (and indeed the world’s) population is living in urban areas, adding to the congestion and pressure of housing, jobs and public services. The forum is therefore meant to discuss how to address such challenges and imagine cities that reflect our desires,” said Prof. Semboja.
According to UN-Habitat’s publication“The State of African Cities 2014”, “East Africa is the world’s least urbanized but fastest urbanizing sub-region. By the end of the current decade its urban population will have increased by 50 percent and the total number of urban dwellers in 2040 is expected to be five times that of 2010. It follows, therefore, that Eastern Africa will face huge challenges associated with massive urban population increase; monumental new and additional demands for the provision of adequate and affordable housing and urban services; and, perhaps most importantly, urban-based income-generation opportunities.”
“In fact urbanization and urban development are both positive products of and forces for human development and economic growth – if we can get them right. And that is what this regional round-table is all about. To set us on the right course by identifying top priorities and key ingredients of progress,” added Prof. Semboja.
Participants of the roundtable forum will be coming from: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The invitees will be high level representatives from the governments, regional and international organizations, major cities, from academia, private sector and civil society organizations.
For more information contact:
Mr. Amani Nkurlu, Communications officer, UONGOZI Institute
Tel: +255 22 2602917, Mobile: +255 0712 223839
Email: ankurlu@uongozi.or.tz
www.uongozi.or.tz
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