Morocco: 8th edition of Africities summit opens in Marrakesh

The 8th Edition of Africities Summit has opened in Marrakesh, a former imperial and fourth largest city of the kingdom of Morocco. The five-day summit which runs from November 20 till November 24, 2018, is a platform for the evaluation of the implementation of decentralization of policies in Africa.
Africities is the United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLGA) flagship pan-African event that is held every three years in one of the five regions of Africa. The 8th edition, VI’s the culmination and celebration of our ability to transform the world through the local lens, through a renewed governance which engage everyone in the chain of action, in its proper place.
The architecture of all Africities summits aim to address major questions based on the construction of the 2063 vision of Africa that suggests that the transition to sustainable cities and territories is not an option but an imperative.
This is if Africa wants to achieve the universal SDG’s of the UN. About five thousand stakeholders in charge of local government, ministers in charge of housing and urban development, civil society organization, public and private sectors, international cooperation agencies among others participated in this year’s summit with three hundred mayors from Africa including Chinese and Japanese Majors.
The summit is an exceptional platform for business meetings, exchanges and partnerships. An exhibition as part of the summit is to connect over two hundred exhibitors from different sectors of activities. The exhibition will also attract about 10,000 visitors from different professional backgrounds to strength their business networks and expand their client portfolios.

Projects and partnership exchange generating about 500 business appointments, with nearly thirty thematic conferences and technical workshops. Africities 2018 summit pursues two major objectives; defining appropriate shared strategies in order to improve the living conditions of people at the local level and contribute to the integration, peace and unity of Africa starting from the grassroots.
The general theme of the summit will be discussed through 161 sessions. The official opening of Africities 2018 was under the authority of the King of Morocco, King Mohammed VI. Theme for AFRICITIES 2018 is; “the transition to sustainable cities and territories, the role of local and subnational governments of Africa”.
The head of service at the local government service, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur said AFRICITIES is a platform to discuss local development issues, share experiences and discuss the most relevant solutions to optimize investments.
The president of the National Association of Local Government Authorities NALGA, Mr. Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La said Ghana has benefited from Africities summits over the years and this year is no exception.
Mr. Mensah said, he hopes to put to use new ideas gained from Morocco, by bringing out solutions, innovations, positions, approaches, perceptions, ways of acting and to define the pattern of a new global modernity.
 
Story by Dorothy Agyemang