Addis Ababa: South Sudan's Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development Michael Chanjiek lauded the infrastructures development recently carried out in Addis Ababa. The South Sudanese minister participated in the inaugural Africa Urban Forum held in Addis Ababa from 4-6th September, 20124. Chanjiek told ENA that the transformation of Addis Ababa through infrastructure development should be emulated by other African countries including South Sudan. 'I am very pleased to be part and parcel of the forum. It is indeed a very wonderful start for the continent and also for Ethiopia, the host of the African Union. It is a milestone towards our journey as Africans to move away from maybe (the fact that) we do not put the development agenda as our first agenda,' Chanjiek said. During his stay in Addis Ababa, the minister said he visited various infrastructure investments undertaken through Corridor Development Initiative. He lauded the big changes as well as the expanded Bole International Airport, the roads t hat have been transformed as part of the Corridor Development initiative, and the newly constructed state-of-the-art Adwa Victory Memorial Museum. 'They just started with the airport; a very big change in the airport, roads have been transformed. Many places developed, including the Adwa memorial. It is also one of the great symbols of the country. So the Ethiopian government has made a lot of changes,' he noted. The transformation of Addis Ababa does not only improve the quality of life for Ethiopians but also set a benchmark for other African nations to follow suit, he stated. 'Ethiopia has shown us very remarkable vision; it is because of the leadership that is also moving ahead with the plan. We have seen very big changes in Addis Ababa. The journey of urbanization has started in Addis Ababa and we can take what we have seen as example to our countries so that we move it as well to make sure that we catch up with our colleagues in Ethiopia,' Chanjiek emphasized. Underscoring the importance of urbaniza tion as a key driver of economic growth and social progress in Africa, the minister called for the development of comprehensive urban policies to ensure that cities are resilient, inclusive, and sustainable. 'Our people deserve it. Now it is time that we put everyone under the roof. Every African deserves a better place to live, like a house. So building the resilience of cities in our continent is now a priority to all our governments. So we should focus on this and the time is now,' he urged. With its rich history and the ongoing transformation, the city is a suitable venue for diplomatic seats including the African Union, he said. 'You know, the founders of the African Union, we are the one that decided to put the seats of the African Union into Addis Ababa, and I think everybody is comfortable with that…sometimes others can host an African meeting somewhere, but you cannot share the venue. I think the venue is suitable for the African Union. So being in Addis is not just by chance, but it deserves it,' the minister emphasized. As the seat of African Union and the third diplomatic city in the world next to New York and Geneva, Addis Ababa has been upgrading immense infrastructure development towards making the city livable, green as well as meet international standards. Source: Ethiopian News Agency