Is there no city in Nigeria ‘Liveable’ enough to put the country on the list?
Efforts at making Nigeria beautiful are obviously not paying off as the country is conspicuously missing from the list of finalists made up of 32 countries with 60 Liveable Communities, Egypt and South Africa making the list.
Representatives of 60 cities from 32 countries of the world on Thursday gathered in Al Ain, United Arab Emirate to choose the best cities through their civic and environmental achievements for the UN-backed global Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom).
The event opened at Rotana Hotel in which delegates have been making the case for their towns and cities before a panel of world-renowned experts in the field of municipal and environmental management. The five-day event is being hosted by Al Ain Municipality.
Rajab Rashid Mughair Al Amimi, a senior official of Al Ain Municipality, said the finalists this year reflected a wider geographic spread than ever before with entries from across the five continents. The winning cities in the awards scheme for civic environmental achievement will be announced on Saturday, November 24.
The LivCom Award, launched in 1997 and endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme, is non-political and embraces all the nations and cultures from around the world. The awards are made annually in three categories covering whole cities and sustainable projects along with a bursary award.
A continued growth in community focus on sustainability has sparked not only a record number of entries but has resulted in the highest ever number of finalists in the event’s 15 year history, said the municipal official. Finalists this year reflect a wider geographic spread than ever before with entries from across the five continents, he added.
The cities have been enlisted for the award for their efforts to improve landscape, arts, culture, and heritage, and followed the best environmental practices along with offering the best health and life facilities. Only three Arab countries Egypt, Kuwait, and the UAE have made to the finalists, Al Amimi added.
Other finalists included Brazil, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Philippines, Mexico, United States, England, Spain, Australia, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Peru, Ukraine, South Africa, China, Republic of Moldova, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, Russia, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Colombia.
