Global leaders in housing, finance, climate policy and urban development will converge on World Urban Forum 13 in Baku to address the worsening global housing crisis and rising climate threats confronting cities across the world.
The forum, convened by UN-Habitat under the theme, “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities,” will hold from Sunday May 17 to 22, 2026, with governments, international organisations, financial institutions, researchers and civil society groups expected to participate.
Organisers said the gathering would focus on practical solutions to challenges such as housing shortages, rapid urbanisation, displacement, climate change, infrastructure deficits and growing inequality in cities.
The event comes at a critical period for Nigeria, where rapid urban population growth, rising rent costs, flooding and weak infrastructure continue to worsen housing conditions across major cities.
According to data from housing stakeholders and urban development experts, Nigeria’s housing deficit is estimated at more than 28 million units, with millions of low and middle-income earners unable to access affordable housing.
Major urban centres such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano are also struggling with expanding informal settlements, worsening traffic congestion, overstretched public infrastructure and climate-related disasters.
In recent years, devastating floods in several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Bayelsa, Anambra and Lagos, have displaced thousands of residents and exposed the vulnerability of poorly planned urban communities to climate change.
The Federal Government has repeatedly acknowledged the country’s urban development challenges, particularly the shortage of affordable housing and weak resilience infrastructure.
Under the current administration, authorities have continued discussions around urban renewal, housing finance reforms and public-private partnerships aimed at addressing the housing crisis, though experts argue that rising inflation and construction costs remain major obstacles.
Nigeria’s participation at the forum is expected to attract attention around financing for affordable housing, climate adaptation for vulnerable communities and strategies to manage the country’s rapidly growing urban population.
The forum is expected to feature top United Nations officials, urban policy experts, development financiers and researchers discussing pathways towards inclusive and climate-resilient cities.
Among prominent speakers expected at the event are Ugochi Daniels, Dima Al-Khatib and Andrea Meza Murillo.
A major session titled, “The Global Housing Crisis: What is the Plan?” will feature leading voices in global housing and development, including Jeffrey Sachs, Jonathan Reckford and Matthew Baldwin.
The dialogue will examine issues driving the global housing crisis, including affordability challenges, governance failures, exclusion and financing gaps, while exploring policy solutions that can be replicated across countries.
Another session on “Housing at the Centre of Crisis Recovery and Reconstruction” will focus on rebuilding communities affected by conflicts, displacement and disasters.
The discussion will feature Ming Zhang and Daniels, with attention on housing systems in fragile environments and long-term recovery strategies.
Climate-related housing risks will also dominate discussions at the forum through a special dialogue on the “Climate-Housing Nexus.”
The session will feature Elizabeth Maruma Mrema and Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, who are expected to discuss low-carbon housing systems, urban resilience and protecting vulnerable populations from climate impacts.
Special sessions at the forum will also spotlight affordable housing in Africa and the role of cultural heritage in urban regeneration.
The Africa Affordable Housing Compact session will feature Thierno-Habib Hann and Kecia Rust.
Another special session on cultural heritage and urban regeneration will feature Clara Brugada, Lazare Eloundou Assomo and Ismail Serageldin.
An academia and research roundtable will also examine how innovation, research and education can support efforts to tackle global housing challenges.
The roundtable will feature urban innovation expert Carlos Moreno.
Established by the United Nations in 2001, the World Urban Forum is regarded as the world’s premier conference on sustainable urbanisation and has previously been hosted in countries including Kenya, Poland, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.
Urban development experts say outcomes from the forum could influence future global housing financing, climate adaptation policies and city planning frameworks, particularly for rapidly urbanising countries across Africa, including Nigeria, where population growth and climate pressures are increasingly stretching urban systems beyond capacity.
By Dare Akogun
