Join Anam team at FUTURE CITIES AFRICA (Economist Conference) in Lagos May 30/31st

Join us for a major summit on the future of cities in Africa

The most compelling growth opportunities are in Africa’s cities. In the next 10 years the continent’s population will rise beyond 1.5bn and consumer spending is predicted top $1.5 trillion.  The Anam design team will attend the event and live blog many of the sessions. 

Future Cities:  Managing Africa’s urban transformation

May 30th–31st 2012

Eko Expo Centre, Lagos

Future Cities, organised by Economist Conferences, is a major international conference, exploring innovative new approaches to designing, managing and financing Africa’s cities.

The event will feature leading authorities in urban planning, construction, transport, energy, architecture and sustainability, including the mayors of Lagos State, Johannesburg, Harare, Durban, Dar Es Salaam and Cape Town.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Babatunde Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State
• Parks Tau, Executive Mayor of Johannesburg
• Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties
• Kuma Demeksa, Executive Mayor of Addis Ababa
• He Liehui, Managing Director, Touchroad International Holding Group

Special NGO and academic rates are available. For further information and to register, visit www.economistconferences.com/africacities quoting code ANAM.

 

A Story of an Anam Businesswoman

Nwanegbo Donatus Aniukwu is a student of Anambra State University Economics   Department. He is a fellow of the Chife Foundation. Donatus recently worked with two interns to interview Mrs. Grace Uduaka, a business lady near the Chife Foundation headquarters.

Chife Foundation Fellow, Donatus interviewing Grace Uduaka

Who is Mrs. Grace Uduaka?

She is a woman of her own, doing a business of her own.

A businesswoman near the Chife Foundation headquarters, she sells edible products like biscuits, bread, and cooked rice and beans. She purchases those items from Onitsha, which is the central market near Anam New City, and then she transports them to her small store near the project site and sells them for a small profit.

Grace started her business with the help of her husband who helped care for the welfare of their family of 10 people (eight children in addition to Grace and her husband). One of their children is married, another works in the nearby city of Asaba. Also, they have five children in school: one who has succeeded in pursuing tertiary education and is currently attending Oko Polytechnic Institution, a federal university in Nigeria); a second child in secondary school; and three children in primary school. Unfortunately, Grace’s last-born child cannot go to school due to the very far distance between her house and the school.

In Idemmili (in the southern part of Onitsha, Nigeria), Grace was trading yams and fish, but she left due to the conflict between Igbos and Fulanis, which took place in 1987-88. When we asked her about how life was in Idemmili, she smiled and commented, “I was making a lot of money.” Grace is a true businesswoman.

Then, due to the conflict and wishing to keep her family safe, she and her entire family moved to Ebenebe, where they started farming (mostly just for survival and subsistence). They also managed to make some profit from the crops harvested from her farm. In 2009, when the Chife Foundation began the Anam New City project and began employing workers at the site of the New City, Grace saw an opportunity for business. She knew that, while working, a person needs to eat for more energy. She started selling some things, such as drinks and food, to the workers at the site when the activities and building there began. Despite her income from this small business, she still cannot afford to live in an urban area (such as Onitsha) due to the higher expenses there, and that is why she lives in the farming settlement of Ebenebe – so that she provide for her family without owing money to anybody. She now sees Ebenebe as a profitable means of surviving because she is able to sell biscuits, bread, cooked rice and beans, cassava, and other edible items to community members.

Grace hopes that when the Anam New City project is well underway, she will have saved enough money to obtain a stall in the market in the New City, allowing her to sell her products directly from the new market place.

When we ended our discussion with Grace, we offered a hand shake which she accepted with a broad smile. She said that she will be the first among the pioneers to embrace the New City and that she is eager for Anam to become a respected trading center through the work of business people like herself .

Post by: Nwanegbo Donatus Aniukwu

Build a New City with Us! Internship Program 2011 Announced [VIDEO]

The Chife Foundation is excited to announce the 2nd year of our international internship program in sustainable development and design.  Since 2009, The Chife Foundation has been working with the community of Anam in Eastern Nigeria to plan and design Anam New City.  With the first overall planning and design phases complete, the project is moving forward into more specific design and infrastructure projects, as well as the initial implementation phases on site.  This settlement is envisioned to be exemplary in its approach to environmental, economic and social sustainability. Self-sufficiency, livability, maximized use of local resources and efficient design schemes are important objectives. The ultimate goal is to create a prototype for new (as well as existing) African cities, thereby creating a model for sustainable development on the continent.

Qualified graduate and undergraduate students from various disciplines are invited to apply.  Please visit the Chife Foundation website for more information about the New City Internship Program and the International Development Internship.  The application deadline is March 1, 2011.

In the video, Community Researcher Assistant, John Paul Anekwe talks about the first phases of the project which include agricultural seed operations, such as a fish farm and a poultry farm and how his community will be involved.

If you are using a slow internet connection, you can also watch the video in a lower resolution format on the Chife Foundation YouTube Channel.  Building A New City (Low Resolution)

Anam Under Water [VIDEO]

Annual flooding has become a part of life in Anam. People travel throughout the region from farm to market on the rivers by canoe to conduct trade. They respond to the natural hydrological systems for their survival and have innovated many solutions for managing their resources during the floods. On farm settlements, farmers build flexible farm storage and construct mounds near their housing for protection.

The wetland condition resulting from the floods are a critical contributor to regional biodiversity and ecological strength.The seasonal floodwaters serve as a natural irrigation and deposits nutrient-rich sediments on to farmlands.  However, increasing population and urbanization creates pressure on the hydrologic system in this riverine area. Conventional development causes wetland areas to be reduced, which damages water supply and quality. A depleted flood plain also increases risk of flooding in other areas of the region as water rushes in during the rainy season, contributing to aggressive erosion.  International research on climate change issues also demonstrate that vulnerable areas such as Anam will be at even greater risk as water levels rise.

The design of ANAM CITY takes an ecological approach to urban development that manages nature and civilization, such that neither is compromised.  The city will preserve and enhance 85% of the existing wetlands, while urban infrastructure will follow low-impact guidelines so that stormwater can actually complement the city’s design.  The result is an emerging wetland and riverfront edge that will mitigate any human impacts and allow for the long term stability of both the community and ecological systems.  The Anam culture of canoe transport is also integral to the urban design framework for the city, which will address the Ezichi River for its primary access points.

Internship Develops Innovations in Sustainable African Urbanism

After two and a half months of intense research and design work, the internship program is drawing to an end.  The work has been foundational towards the development of the Master Plan document.   The following summarizes several of the overall outcomes of the design and principle goals for the Anam City.

ECONOMIC & SOCIAL GROWTH

A vibrant economy, building on regional strength in agriculture and an abundance of natural resources like clay & bamboo will accelerate growth and prosperity. Generously distributed community facilities to support good health and educational advancement, as well as public amenities such as parks and recreational spaces will improve the quality of life for residents.

ECOLOGICAL URBANISM

The physical design of the city and supporting activities will nurture sound environmental stewardship. Regionally appropriate architecture will respond better to the tropical conditions and promote responsible resource use. Protecting the existing ecosystem will also create a healthier and more enjoyable city environment.

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE

The city’s infrastructure demands will be met by a distributed network of small-scale energy, water & waste systems. A balance of low cost and state-of-the-art technologies will tap into extensive renewable energy resources such as solar and biomass and will balance with ecologically sound water & waste infrastructure.  Smart information technologies will also optimize system performance by increasing efficient monitoring and minimizing resource waste.