UN-Habitat: Empowering local authorities critical for urban development

EZULWINI – Empowering local authorities with necessary resources and tools is essential to achieving sustainable, climate-resilient urban development across Eswatini, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Regional Director for Africa Oumar Sylla has said.

Delivering remarks at the second Eswatini Urban Forum on behalf of UN-Habitat, Sylla stated that municipal councils and local governments stand at the forefront of managing urban expansion and meeting community needs.

He noted that although towns and cities are vital drivers of economic opportunity, social inclusion, and climate resilience, local authorities across the region face persistent constraints in municipal financing, technical capacity, infrastructure, and technology access.

Highlighting the global context, Sylla referenced international benchmarks including Urban October, World Cities Day, the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11.

He emphasized that addressing urban expansion requires moving beyond theoretical policy declarations toward practical execution.

According to Sylla, local authorities must be equipped to translate national policies into tangible improvements in living standards, particularly through developing a national spatial plan to guide infrastructure and land use across the kingdom.

Sylla advocated for an integrated approach to urban planning that connects land usage, housing, transportation, water, sanitation, and waste management. He urged local councils to strengthen revenue mobilization, build private-sector partnerships, and utilise reliable urban data to formulate bankable, investment-ready projects capable of attracting development finance.

Commending Eswatini’s recent achievements, Sylla pointed to the collaborative Eco-City Master Plan in Sidvokodvo, developed alongside UN-Habitat and supported by the African Development Bank, as a model for aligning urban growth with national infrastructure, such as the Mkhondvo-Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Program.

He affirmed UN-Habitat’s readiness to assist the government in executing the plan.

Furthermore, Sylla aligned UN-Habitat’s support with regional and continental frameworks, including the SADC Regional Strategy for the Transformation of Informal Settlements, the Housing Compact for Africa, and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Eswatini (2026–2030).

Concluding his address, Sylla urged forum delegates to prioritise capacity-building for local authorities, turn plans into actionable investments, and keep resilience and inclusivity at the heart of all urban initiatives to ensure no citizen or community is left behind.

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