Six African cities take stock of fiscal reforms in drive toward sustainable urban finance

Addis Ababa, 24th January 2026 (ECA)- City leaders and finance officials from across the continent gathered in Addis Ababa for a day-long regional peer learning and action plan progress review workshop, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with UN-Habitat, UNCDF, and the Addis Ababa City Administration.

Held on 22 January, the meeting brought together mayors, technical experts, and representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Planning of six cities - Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, Nairobi, Lusaka, and Yaoundé - under the ECA-led project titled, "Expanded and Resilient Urban Fiscal Space for an Inclusive and Resilient COVID-19 Recovery in Africa."

The initiative, supported through the United Nations Development Account, aims to help local governments mobilize and better manage financial resources to support inclusive and sustainable urban transformation. It demonstrates the ongoing efforts made in selected cities to strengthen municipal finance systems and build fiscal resilience following the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ECA's Urbanization and Development Section reported significant progress since the project's inception. Among the achievements are the launch of a series of financial performance assessment reports, which contributed to the Sevilla Commitment - the global framework adopted at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. In addition, participating cities have developed compendiums of good practices, prioritized action plans, and a web-based fiscal space performance and monitoring dashboards that enables real-time tracking of municipal performance.

Speaking at the opening, officials highlighted the importance of peer learning in driving collective progress, noting that cities are facing complex fiscal challenges that require local innovation and continental solidarity. They underscored the importance of aligning local fiscal strategies with national development frameworks and international commitments.

Throughout the day, participants reviewed the implementation of their action plans, shared lessons from their respective cities, and discussed ways to expand fiscal space - from improving revenue generation and expenditure management to leveraging partnerships for sustainable infrastructure financing. A field visit rounded out the programme, offering insights into Addis Ababa's initiatives to build a greener, more livable urban environment.

The workshop was aimed at producing a comprehensive report distilling key recommendations and agreed-upon action points to guide cities in strengthening their financial performance. Beyond the technical discussions, the meeting demonstrated ECA's leadership in mobilizing collective commitment of African cities to harness municipal finance as a lever for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban growth.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]