Abuja, Nigeria – Shelter Afrique, a pan-African housing finance institution, will be hosting its 42nd Annual General Meeting from 8th to 12th May 2023 at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, Nigeria. The theme for this year’s meeting is “Political Economy in the Built Environment.” The event is expected to bring together 15,000 participants from 46 countries, both in-person and online.
The choice of Abuja as the host city is significant, as Nigeria is considered a key market for Shelter Afrique. The institution recently issued a 46 billion Naira (about 110.7 million US dollars) Series 1 Fixed Rate Senior Unsecured Bond in Nigeria’s capital market under its 200 billion Naira (about 481.3 million US dollars) bond issuance programme in April 2022. The oversubscription of the bond issuance reflects investors’ confidence in Shelter Afrique’s mandate to enable housing development in Nigeria and Africa at large.
The focus of this year’s Annual General Meeting is on the political economy of the housing sector in Africa. Shelter Afrique recognizes that understanding the interactions between the main stakeholders in the housing production and delivery value chain, as well as the incentive mechanisms and outcomes, is crucial to addressing the challenges and opportunities in the housing market dynamics in Africa.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE), which is the policy-making and advocacy arm of Shelter Afrique, will serve as the convener of the Symposium. The CoE has organized similar symposiums across several Shelter Afrique member countries in recent years, where experts in the industry have come together to discuss and recommend policy and implementation strategies on key sectors affecting housing and the built environment practices in Africa.
Key aspects to be discussed during the Symposium include strategies to enhance Nigeria’s and Africa’s attainment of affordable housing and urban development targets within the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union Commission. The Symposium will also address measures to manage inflationary pressures and logistical challenges in the industry against the backdrop of the Post COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war. Additionally, the role of emerging technologies in the built environment industry, effective management of conflict-driven displacement and rapid urbanization, and data management for achieving housing and built environment objectives will be explored.
The Symposium promises to be a platform for engaging discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking among housing and built environment stakeholders in Africa. With the participation of experts from diverse backgrounds, including policymakers, investors, researchers, and practitioners, the event aims to generate insights and recommendations that can contribute to addressing the housing challenges and advancing the development of the built environment in Africa.
