ECA and partners have launched an initiative aimed at strengthening the capacities of city governments in Africa to develop and implement policy reforms and strategies to expand and build resilient urban fiscal space.

Referred to as Expanded and resilient urban fiscal space for an inclusive and resilient COVID-19 recovery in Africa-DA-15 Project, the initiative was launched in Nairobi on 22 May, 2024 and is being spearheaded by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with implementing partners, UN-Habitat and UNCDF, and the Nairobi City County.

According to Atkeyelsh Persson, Chief Urbanization and Development Section at the ECA, the project will be implemented in four cities in 2024- Addis, Nairobi, Kigali, and Lusaka. Two more cities -Dar es Salaam and Yaoundé will benefit from the project over the coming three years.

She noted that the project will support the selected cities through a chain of interventions, ranging from generating evidence to the design of actual interventions for improved fiscal space. Emphasis will be placed on the capacity of city authorities to carry out these functions whilst promoting fiscal transparency and accountability.