World Urban Forum Twelfth Session: CoM SSA champions African cities’ sustainable urban futures

Following the momentum of the Africa Urban Forum, CoM SSA actively participated in the WUF, leading discussions on critical issues like waste, adaptation, resilience and increasing the quality and quantity of climate finance at the local level. These are key to driving transformative solutions for sustainable urbanisation in Africa.

 

CoM SSA co-hosted a session with ICLEI Africa at the WUF12, titled, Emerging Giants - Financing Sub-Saharan Africa’s Sustainable Future.
 

Here are the standout insights from the session:

 

1. Growing commitment from African cities: Sergio Oliete Josa, Head of Unit, DG-INTPA, European Commission, highlighted the impressive growth of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), now with over 380 signatories. As CoM SSA enters its next phase in 2025, the focus shifts from planning to real-world implementation.
 

2. Collaboration drives impact: Hannatu Ibrahim, Head of Environment at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (Nigeria) shared how CoM SSA brought together three Abuja agencies leading to unprecedented collaboration. AMAC's Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan, developed with CoM SSA, even led to legislative changes.
 

3. Addressing financial barriers: CoM SSA Regional Mayors Forum member Mayor of Quelimane (Mozambique), Manuel de Araújo, emphasised the need to overcome language barriers and build capacity for city staff to unlock financial opportunities for transformative urban projects.
 

4. Scaling inclusive financial models: Andreas Beavor, Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme and Co-Founder and Lead Consultant: UrbanEmerge, shared strategies for creating an inclusive financial ecosystem, strengthening the enabling environment to scale up transformative urban projects across Africa.
 

5. Partnerships are essential: Thomas de Vericourt, Senior Project Team Leader & Accountability Officer: Urban Development, Housing and Planning Division, Agence française de développement, showcased the power of collaborative partnerships, citing the Lagos Waterways Project as a prime example. Lagosians spend an average of 5 hours daily in traffic and allocate 30 to 40% of their monthly household incomes to transportation. Recognising this challenge, the development of river transport emerges as a strategic priority within the Lagos State Development Plan 2052. This strategy is articulated in the Lagos State Strategic Transport Master Plan, aiming to elevate the modal share of inland waterways transport from 1% to 10% by 2052. Aligned with this vision, the CoM SSA co-implementing partner, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), has committed €690,000 to fund feasibility studies for a world-class public inland waterway transportation system in Lagos. Learn more: https://comssa.org/en/site-resources/development-of-inland-waterways-transportation-in-lagos 
 

6. Long-term impact beyond projects: Michael Boulle, CoM SSA Secretariat and Just Transitions Senior Specialist at ICLEI Africa stressed the importance of policy support for long-term success—sometimes projects alone aren’t enough to drive lasting change.

These insights highlight a clear path forward where African cities take the lead in evidence-based climate action, leveraging partnerships, inclusive financial models, and actionable solutions for sustainable development.

 

Highlights of CoM SSA’s engagements at WUF12 
 

 

The Dallas ASILI Project was recognised as part of the Water as Leverage City Champion Challenge! The Dallas ASILI Project exemplifies how CoM SSA promotes nature-based and community-driven approaches, paving the way for scalable solutions across the region. By integrating green infrastructure (GI) into urban planning, the project provides a blueprint for tackling flooding and enhancing resilience.

 

The GI Plan integrates existing wetlands, public areas, green streets, and NbS elements like swales, rain gardens, and detention basins to manage stormwater and reduce flood risks, enhancing environmental quality and community well-being. Developed through a participatory process with the Dallas community, this plan reflects their vision and aspirations. The Dallas ASILI project is a collaborative effort between the Dallas community, Embu County Government, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), and CoM SSA. 

 

 

#WorldUrbanForum: Strengthening Sub-Saharan Africa’s Waste Management through Informal Sector Engagement@AmacLg is prioritizing inclusive and sustainable urban waste management via the #Abuja Urban Lab—a first in #Nigeria. This initiative creates a platform to integrate the… pic.twitter.com/SszE5ean6w

— Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (@CoMOSSAfrica) November 8, 2024

#WorldUrbanForum As the severity and frequency of #cyclones increase in Quelimane, #adaptation is a key focus. Our top priority is capacity-building for staff, equipping them with the skills needed to respond to the urgent challenges facing our city. The @UTM_MI , along with… pic.twitter.com/cForXg3YUm

— Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (@CoMOSSAfrica) November 5, 2024

#WUF12 Risk & Vulnerability Assessments are crucial to developing robust climate plans and implementing context-specific action. These assessments not only help cities understand their #climaterisks but also provide a foundation for accessing finance.#CoMSSA is trailblazing… pic.twitter.com/LBDbpHHrm5

— Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (@CoMOSSAfrica) November 6, 2024