Abuja: The Federal Government has praised the European Union-funded Sustainable Integrated Development Programme for its role in supporting Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria (SIDPIN). The commendation was given by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, during a meeting with a delegation from UN-Habitat in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dangiwa acknowledged the efforts of UN-Habitat in delivering durable housing solutions, enhancing community integration, and improving living conditions for displaced individuals and host communities. He highlighted the ongoing support provided by UN-Habitat through SIDPIN in the states of Adamawa, Kano, and Borno, noting its alignment with the ministry’s priorities of rebuilding livelihoods and fostering social cohesion in post-conflict regions.
Dangiwa further noted the programme’s contribution to reviewing the National Urban Development Policy and its involvement in planning reform. Additionally, he mentioned the provision of a consultant for the National Land Registration Documentation and Titling Programme (Land4Growth), urban renewal initiatives, and slum upgrading programmes. These interventions, he stated, are crucial as Nigeria faces rapid urbanisation that necessitates coordinated planning, sustainable infrastructure, and climate-responsive development.
The minister emphasized the importance of sustainable infrastructure, climate resilience, and resource management. However, he expressed concern over budgetary constraints hampering the ministry’s policy direction, ambitions, and the pace of implementation, particularly in delivering climate-responsive housing and urban resilience initiatives. He urged the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms beyond traditional budget allocations to address these challenges.
Dangiwa acknowledged the opportunities presented by the ministry’s partnership with UN-Habitat, including access to international climate finance and resources for social housing programmes targeting vulnerable populations. He also highlighted initiatives aimed at supporting women-focused housing, recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change and conflict-induced displacement on women.
Earlier in the meeting, Mr. Mathias Spaliviero, Head of the UN-Habitat West Africa Hub in Dakar, Senegal, reaffirmed the agency’s strong institutional partnership with the Federal Government. He emphasized that collaboration remains a priority regardless of funding cycles and provided updates on ongoing interventions by UN-Habitat. Spaliviero highlighted a major joint programme implemented with the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, focusing on delivering sustainable solutions for IDPs through urban integration strategies in Kano, Yobe, Adamawa, and Benue states.
Spaliviero invited the minister to participate in the upcoming Africa Urban Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, and the World Urban Forum convened by UN-Habitat, underscoring the ongoing collaborative efforts to address urban challenges in Nigeria.