Addis Ababa: Africa Urban Forum Participants expressed keen interest to replicate the ongoing transformational development endeavors in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The participants also commend the Ethiopian government and its people for the magnificent job they have done on Addis Ababa’s corridor development that would be exemplary to the other cities in Africa.
A three-day first African Urban Forum has officially kicked off on Wednesday in Addis Ababa in the presence of high-ranking officials drawn from across the continent.
One of the participants Lungile Dlamini, Chief Executive Officer of Manzini Municipality in Eswatini told ENA that Addis Ababa has embarked on a massive progress in all spheres.
Recall Addis Ababa has been executing the Corridor Development Project, aimed at uplifting the image of the city by meeting international smart city standards.
In her keynote address to the forum yesterday, Mayor of Addis Ababa City Adanech Abeibie highlighted the recently launched Corridor Development of city t
ransformation which is yielding remarkable results.
For the mayor, Addis Ababa city has made milestones in the development of the city, underscoring that ‘my administration has demonstrated that we can transform cities and harness their potentials.’
‘In terms of transformation, urbanization, economic development, and empowerment of people, I see significant progress in Addis Ababa,’ the CEO said.
Thrilled with his participation in the first-ever Africa Urban Forum, Dlamini said we are focusing on urbanization and the free movement of people across countries that would boost the economies of cities throughout Africa.
Stressing the need for exploring greater unity and modernization in urbanization across the continent, the CEO lauded Addis Ababa’s growth as part of corridor development.
‘Coming back to Addis Ababa, it came as a shock to see an African city that is being regenerated the way it is. I saw a lot of integration. I saw Smart City initiatives being implemented. I saw transformation in terms of di
gitalization of the city, the transformation that we normally see in global cities, not in African cities.’
‘We would like to take this lesson in order to regenerate our cities and transform them in this way,’ she said.
Another participant from Eswatini, Mduduzi Dlamini who is also CEO Housing Board praised the corridor development in Addis Ababa.
‘It is amazing. I commend the Ethiopian government and its people for the magnificent job they have done. After touring the city and understanding the planning and policy framework behind this development, we have learned a great deal. We’ve already been in touch with some of the officials here to gain further insights,’
Development projects of Addis Ababa city are transforming the capital’s landscape into a more efficient, accessible, and livable environment, John Dagbu from Ghana said on his part.
“I think it’s a very impressive effort. I hope to learn a lot from how they secure funding for some of their mega projects, such as the widening of roads, the devel
opment of gardens, and the Science Museum.
These are fantastic initiatives aimed at making the urban environment more livable and accommodating both the current population and the ones that will come in the future. Overall, I believe it’s a commendable project.”
The Ghanaian also acknowledged Africa has been facing numerous challenges in terms of urbanization.
Thus, Dagbu emphasized the importance of addressing those fundamental issues confronting Africa.
Finally, he also appreciated the Africa Urban Forum, stating that Africa has now created its own platform that would allow us to share ideas and find a common identity.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency