The African Urban Forum (AUF) is the continent’s premier platform for multistakeholder dialogue on urbanisation and human settlements, convened to harness Africa’s rapid urban growth as a catalyst for socioeconomic transformation. Under the theme “Adequate Housing for All: Advancing Socioeconomic and Environmental Transformation towards the Realization of Agenda 2063,” AUF2 places housing at the heart of Africa’s urban future as a unifying lens for development, resilience, and inclusion.

The World Resources Institute is convening policymakers, city leaders, financiers, practitioners, and researchers for a series of dialogues around the system shifts needed to advance climate action, infrastructure finance, and land governance for better housing across the continent.

State of African Cities Report 2026: Harnessing the Value of Urban Land for Socio-Economic Transformation

Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Side Event Tent 4: Kifaru, Kenya International Convention Center

This side-event will feature a presentation of early findings from the State of African Cities Report 2026: Harnessing the Value of Urban Land for Socioeconomic Transformation in African Cities. Launching at the World Urban Forum in May 2026, the report assesses the evolution of urban land valuation across Africa, and how Land-Value Capture is emerging as a mechanism for driving investment towards public priorities like infrastructure, housing, public spaces, and climate adaptation. Participants wll have the opportunity to hear about case studies from cities like Freetown, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Lome, Stellenbosch, Dar es Salaam, and Kumasi.

Speakers

  • Aklilu Fikresilassie, PhD – Director for Cities, WRI Africa
  • Hellen Wanjohi-Opil, Climate & Engagement Lead for Cities, WRI Africa
  • Obadiah Mungai, Environmental Finance Lead, Cities, WRI Africa

Convenors

  • World Resources Institute, UN-Habitat, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Housing and the Climate Nexus: Pathways to Resilient, Affordable, and Low-Carbon Urban Futures in Africa

Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Aberdares Hall, Kenya International Convention Center

As cities grow rapidly, housing systems face rising climate risks, affordability pressures, and emissions impacts. At this Official Parallel Event, WRI and partners are bringing together policymakers, practitioners, financiers, and community actors to examine practical pathways for climateresilient, ‑lowcarbon‑, and inclusive housing. Through dialogue grounded in African city experiences, the session will explore how Africa’s decision-makers can shift housing from a sectoral concern to a strategic lever for resilience, social inclusion, and sustainable urban transformation.

Speakers

  • Wanjira Maathai, Managing Director, Global Partnerships & Africa, World Resources Institute

Convenors

  • World Resources Institute, Global Green Growth Insitute, Global Center on Adaptation, Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung Tanzania, Shelter Afrique, UN-Habitat

Financing Climate-Resilient Urban Infrastructure for Adequate Housing: From City Plans to Investment-Ready Projects in Africa

Friday, April 10, 2026 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM
Side Event Tent 2: Simba, Kenya International Convention Center

Across Africa, cities face limited access to finance, with deficits in waste, energy, mobility, and basic services undermining housing delivery. Through case studies from cities in Ghana & Kenya, the session will showcase how the Climate-resilient Infrastructure Investments in Cities (CIVIC) platform, led by CoM-SSA, C40 Cities’s Finance Facility (CFF), and the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, are helping transform urban climate priorities into investment-ready infrastructure pipelines through integrated and coordinated technical support.

Speakers

  • George Mwaniki (PhD), WRI-Kenya Representative & Head of Air Quality, WRI Africa

Convenors

  • Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), C40 Cities Finance Facility, City Climate Finance Gap Fund