Topic:
Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Keegan Bierema
Topic: Informal Settlements
Country: Nigeria
Delegate name: Keegan Bierema
Cities are increasingly becoming more important in today’s ever changing world. As cities grow at unprecedented rates, infrastructure is unable to keep up with this new demand in housing. Spillover of people without homes causes informal housing, hastily built and often unsanitary pieces of housing built to make room for more people. Informal housing is set to grow over the next 40 years and already contributes 70% of the world’s carbon emissions while consuming 60% of used resources.
Nigerian informal settlements have existed since the early 20th century and have recently grown to prominence in the country. Nigeria will take action on any informal settlement presumed to be harboring criminals which often results in demolition and accessing the land. Nigeria’s largest Informal settlement, Makoko, has a population estimated to be north of 100,000 and in the past decades, the government has asserted its power on the settlement. Nigeria calls for an international code that limits the spread of these settlements and a quick solution to the problem.
Nigeria encourages all countries with the ability, to support the eradication of informal settlements, in any manner necessary. Informal Settlements are illegitimate pieces of a city that should be dealt with legally and decisively. Settlements such as these are a matter to be decided by the international community as a whole. Nigeria is excited to cooperate with partners on this issue.
Works cited
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/08/informal-settlements
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2019/goal-11/
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/01/we-woke-to-bulldozers-nigeria-slum-clearance-leaves-thousands-homeless
