Building Sustainable Cities in Africa in the Wake of Urbanization

Olamide Udomah-Ejorh is the director of the Lagos Urban Development Initiative. An urban activist, researcher, writer, and artist she holds degrees in BSc Architecture, MA Design and MPhil Infrastructure Management. She has worked in London, South Africa and Nigeria with various organisations focusing on transport management, slum upgrading and housing rights in urbanising African cities. She is also a trustee at Open House Lagos and the Editor-in-Chief of the Lost in Lagos Magazine

Yinka Jones is the project manager at Lagos Urban Development Initiative. A Commonwealth professional fellow, he is involved in the production of simple sustainable technologies for use in agro-allied industries. He is an award-winning social entrepreneur and an active player in Nigeria’s renewable energy industry specializing in biodiesel and biogas production. He Yinka holds a BSc in Agricultural and Environmental Engineering and a certificate in Project Cycle Management.

Ms. Esther Obaikol is a lawyer with 25 years of experience in legal and social research in environment, gender, and land. She has held several research positions and has worked on development issues for the last 25 years with broad experience in policy development, legislative drafting, developing institutional frameworks, and training and sensitization on land and natural resources. Esther worked as the Country Coordinator for the World Bank’s Land Governance Assessment Framework (LGAF) 2012 – 2014, coordinated the Global Land Indicators’ Initiative at the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) –UN-Habitat which focused on developing land indicators for the SDGs and supported the broadening land monitoring globally. She most recently supported the development of the International Land Coalition’s National Engagement Strategy (ILC- NES) process in Uganda. Esther is currently coordinating a project aimed at improving land governance in the IGAD region that has resulted in the establishment of a Land Unit at the IGAD Secretariat.

Oumar Sylla has more than 19 years of academic and practical experience in land, natural resources, conflict resolution, urban development, regional cooperation and partnership. As the Leader of the Land and Global Land Tool Network (GLTN)  Unit in UN-Habitat, which is a global partnership for sustaining land policies reforms in developing countries, Oumar has led the efforts towards improving tenure security for the vulnerable through the expansion of GLTN’s work at the country level; advocating for wider incorporation of land governance in the overall SDGs agenda towards bridging the gap between rural and urban nexus, and to build strong partnership on land governance (IFAD, FAO, World Bank, Development partners).  The Land and GLTN Unit has also supported tools implementation at country levels to support land administration and policy development. Previously as a Senior Human Settlement Advisor in UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Africa, Oumar oversaw the cooperation with francophone countries within UN-Habitat, and was focal point for the African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development.

Djibril Diallo has over 35 years of experience in international relations, currently serving the Africa Renaissance & Diaspora Network (ARDN) as President and Chief Executive Officer, where he leads a global “Pathway to Solutions” initiative that aims to popularize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He has leadership and managerial experience in the United Nations(UN) in the fields of emergency management, sustainable human development, advocacy, strategic communications, external relations and strategic communications, "Sport-for-Peace and Development"initiatives, youth leadership development, significant multi-cultural Development. He conceived and directed international communications initiatives, global summits, UN system-wide strategies--including resource mobilization, media outreach and communication processes, personnel and materials--to promote corporate objectives, UN Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development. Dr. Djibril Diallo's commitment to Sustainable Human Development began in his native  Senegal where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Modern Languages and Education. He  holds a Certificate of Post-Graduate Education, as well as a Certificate of Race Relations  and Multi-Cultural Studies, from Nottingham University in England. He earned a Doctorate  (PhD) in Linguistics and Communication from the University of London.

Elias Kingoina is an Associate Professor of Ecosystems Ecology and Microclimatology, with experience in Natural Resource Management and an expert on Ecosystems Modelling.