Accra to pilot UN Habitat Sports & SDG project in Africa

By Ernest Bako WUBONTO

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) jurisdiction has been chosen as the pilot project location for a sports and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) cities initiative in Africa.

The project, a collaboration between the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), aims to promote physical activity within urban environments.

The UN-Habitat is a programme dedicated to advancing a more prosperous urban future. Its mission is to foster socially and environmentally sustainable development of human settlements and ensure adequate shelter for all.

Coordinator for the Sport and SDG Cities Project Ghana, cum Climate Change Officer, UN-Habitat Programme, Binado Kpiasi Tontie, emphasised that the project aims to promote initiatives that enhance the role of sports in urban areas, aligning with the achievement of relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through investments from both organisations.

“Accra is the pilot city for the whole of Africa and is also because the UN-Habitat is currently implementing a bigger initiative across the country dubbed the Smart SDG Cities Programme. The government has been sportive since its inception and the digitalisation infrastructures put in place also played a role in the selection of Accra.

“We hope that city authority will be able to identify the relevance of sport in development to realise an active urban population. If we can implement it properly by collecting enough data and analysing it properly, then it would be easy to scale it to other regions as well as countries in Africa,” he stated.

Mr. Tontie made these remarks during the UN-Habitat conference held at the African Games Youth Pavilion, University of Ghana Stadium. He added that by the conclusion of the one-year project, the participating parties aspire to integrate sports into all city development plans and ensure their implementation.

During the event, a panel discussion on the theme ‘Sports as an Enabler for Accelerating SDGs in Cities’ convened experts from various fields, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), the Women in Sports Network, and health and fitness instructors.

Michael Aggrey from the GOC praised the Sports Cities initiative as a significant endeavour that, if effectively executed, will serve as a foundation for identifying, developing and discovering more talented sports personalities for the country.

A representative of the Sports Ministry, Deputy Director of Research and Information Management, Horen K. Quashigah, underscored the significance of investing in sporting facilities and activities.

On her part, Philipina Frimpong of the Women in Sports Network stressed the importance of on-going sensitisation efforts to overcome cultural barriers and increase parental involvement. She also emphasised the importance of engaging religious and traditional leaders to encourage girls’ participation in sports.

The conference was attended by sports enthusiasts and youths across the continent who are participating in the African Games in one way or the other.

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