2026 Keynote by Dr. Edwin Musiime
Director General, Housing Development Agency Africa
Across Africa today, housing is one of the most urgent and defining challenges facing our cities and communities.
As populations grow and urban centres expand, millions of families are moving into cities in search of opportunity, employment, and a better life.
Yet for many of these families, access to safe, affordable, and dignified housing remains out of reach.
The reality is that Africa faces a housing deficit of tens of millions of homes.
In addition to that Informal settlements continue to expand, infrastructure struggles to keep pace with population growth, and the dream of owning or accessing decent housing remains distant for many households.
But while the challenge is significant, it is not insurmountable.
The question before us is whether we are ready to adopt practical, scalable, and collaborative solutions that match the pace of our urban growth.
Housing should no longer be treated as a secondary development issue because it is fundamental to economic growth, social stability, and national development.
A well-planned housing sector stimulates construction industries, expands infrastructure, creates employment, and strengthens financial systems.
More importantly, housing builds the foundation of healthy communities. A family living in a decent home experiences dignity, stability, and security. Children grow in safer environments, education outcomes improve, and communities become more organized and productive.
To address Africa’s housing challenge, we must focus on practical solutions that work at scale.
First, governments should prioritize access to serviced land for housing development.
One of the greatest barriers to housing supply across the continent is the lack of well-planned land that is ready for development.
Unlocking land through better planning, infrastructure provision, and transparent land systems will significantly reduce the cost of housing development.
Second, we should strengthen public-private partnerships. Governments alone cannot meet the housing demand of growing cities.
The private sector, developers, financial institutions, and investors must play a central role in delivering housing at scale.
When governments provide enabling policies and infrastructure, private capital and innovation can accelerate housing delivery.
Third, we should expand access to housing finance. Millions of Africans have the ability to pay for housing over time, but lack access to long-term financing solutions such as mortgages and housing credit systems.
Developing stronger housing finance ecosystems will enable more families to access home ownership and improve the sustainability of housing markets.
At the Housing Development Agency Africa, we believe that the future of African cities depends on coordinated action that brings together governments, investors, developers, and communities.
Our mission is to mobilize partnerships and investment to accelerate the development of affordable housing and sustainable urban communities across the continent.
But this mission cannot be achieved alone.
It requires the support and collaboration of many partners.
We call upon African governments to strengthen housing policies and create enabling environments for housing investment.
We call upon development finance institutions and global partners to support catalytic investments that unlock large-scale housing projects.
We also call upon communities, civil society organizations, and citizens to participate in shaping the future