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By Jimitota Onoyume

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has called on African leaders to develop environment friendly cities with robust economic growth.

Speaking at a conference in New York, USA, to mark this year’s World Cities Day after he bagged the Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award from the Global Forum on Human Settlements and Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements, he said there was urgent need to take steps that would resolve the challenges of global warming and related problems associated with urbanization and population growth.

The governor spoke alongside 12 other world leaders, assuring that he would continue to provide infrastructure and social services for residents to enjoy quality life in his home state, Rivers.

His words: “As clearly captured by the speakers, the basic concept of the initiative is to create a city that is designed with the consideration of environmental impact. The objective is to resolve the problems of global warming, resource and energy constraints and other social problems associated with rapid urbanization and population growth.

“The United Nations projects that over half of the world’s population now lives in cities and urban settlements, and this figure will increase to about 70 per cent by 2050. Evidently, rapid urbanization is responsible for most of the environmental and social problems in most parts of the world.

‘’It is a very laudable initiative and it is the way to go, especially for us in Africa and other parts where the associated problems of rapid population growth, sprawling urban development and unsustainable exploitation of resources are impacting negatively on the environment, sustainable use of resources and the quality of life of the people.”

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