In line with the drive of the administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to position Aba as a global destination of choice for businesses and other commercial activities, the city of Aba is on course to be listed as one of the resilient cities in the world with attendant benefits.
It will be recalled that sometime in 2016, Governor Ikpeazu had approved the submission of an application for Aba to be listed as a resilient city. The Governor had also in January 2016, hosted the Aba Urban Development Summit where key practitioners from the public and private sector were in attendance.
In furtherance of that process, an aide of the Governor and one of the drivers of the process for the listing of Aba as a resilient city, Mr. Sam Hart has been invited to participate in the BLOXHUB Summer School on Urban Resilience holding in Copenhagen, Denmark from September 10 – 20, 2019.
The Summer School, hosted by the University of South Denmark, is sponsored by the United Nations (UN Habitat) and other global actors in Urban Resilience.
In his letter to Governor Ikpeazu dated August 16, 2019, requesting the release of Mr. Hart to attend the Program, the Program Coordinator, Prof. Nicola Tolin noted that Mr. Hart would be joining Policy Experts, Field Professionals and Academic Researchers from 30 Countries to share knowledge which will be beneficial to the Abia State Government in its quest to make Aba a resilient city.
Copenhagen was chosen to host the Program because of its position as one of the most resilient and sustainable cities in the world and the organisers intend to show participants on-site practical examples of steps the Government and people of Denmark took to make Copenhagen a resilient and sustainable city.
Mr. Hart, who has since arrived Copenhagen, Denmark, to participate in the Program, is attending at no cost to the Abia State Government as he was granted fees waiver by the organisers and sponsors.
