Somalia takes center stage at the Second Africa Urban Forum with a bold vision for global housing reform.
Somali Ambassador to Kenya Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle addresses delegates on April 9, 2026, during the Second Africa Urban Forum (AUF2) at KICC in Nairobi, where he advocated for a unified African platform to solve the global housing crisis.
At the prestigious Second Africa Urban Forum held at the KICC in Nairobi, the Somali Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, delivered a landmark address that reframed the continent’s housing challenges as a source of global innovation.
Positioned at the heart of Africa’s urban transformation, the Ambassador called for a decisive shift from temporary aid to permanent, scholarly frameworks for development.
“We have learned that we have to grow it, and this session is going to be to make an academic leap to that,” the Ambassador emphasized during the opening of the session, signaling Somalia’s intent to turn local success into a worldwide blueprint.
Reflecting on the progress made during the multi-day event, the Ambassador noted that the discussions have successfully moved toward global solutions, particularly regarding the integration of displaced populations.
“In the case of Somalia, for example, yesterday in our session, we talked about global solutions, and we have some very good the issue of dealing with the integration and building houses for IDPs. Again, it’s been very unique and successful to solve that condition globally,” he explained during the evaluation of the Somali case study at the forum.
He further noted that the core of the Somali model relies on a holistic and inclusive approach to community building that bridges the gap between displacement and permanent residency, ensuring that affected populations are not left behind in the development process.
“Finally, we also talked about the issue of living within housing, allowing communities and local landowners, finance, social inclusion, all these have been raised among each other,” the Ambassador pointed out during the analysis of community-led development and social equity.
A central theme of the address was the urgent need for a unified and technically strong African voice in international housing policy to ensure the continent is properly represented in global decision-making platforms. He stressed that without adequate expertise and coordination, Africa risks being sidelined in critical conversations that directly affect its urban future.
“I think we agree that we need, and I think that as ambassador, we talked about it, we need expertise. Countries that are not appointed, nominated, expert, please do so, particularly our brothers,” he urged during the call for member states to prioritize the appointment of qualified specialists.
The Ambassador further stressed that the continent must act collectively to ensure its housing challenges, innovations, and successes are heard and recognized on the global stage, noting that unity would strengthen Africa’s bargaining power.
“I think as the chair of Africa Ambassadors here, like on this meeting, we need the representation. We need a very strong voice. We need this housing issue to represent ourselves. And I think Africa can form a platform as you have, and we have something to look at,” he advocated during the appeal for a dedicated regional platform to amplify their collective message.
Looking toward the future, the Ambassador called for deeper follow-up engagements and sustained dialogue to consolidate these housing strategies and define a clear and actionable path forward, particularly through technical cooperation and policy alignment.
“Hopefully, Your Excellency will organize a meeting for us to go into deeper and come up some way forward in terms of this issue,” he stated during the formal request for a more intensive technical exchange.
The address concluded with a formal invitation to elevate the dialogue from the Second Africa Urban Forum to the international stage at an upcoming global summit in Thailand, where broader participation is expected.
“My final word is to invite you to Bangkok for the next meeting, which will be very important in taking this discussion to the global level,” he concluded.
