Africa-Press – Angola. Angola needs 2.2 million homes by 2050 to prevent the country from exceeding the African continent’s average housing deficit of 10%, said the Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning, and Housing, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, on Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a high-level debate titled “Accelerating Sustainable Financing for Urban Infrastructure and Mobility in Africa,” Dos Santos said Angola’s housing deficit is lower than that of the region but will increase significantly if effective measures are not adopted.
“This situation requires structured planning and immediate action. Urban growth also poses significant challenges for cities, with mobility being one of the most critical,” he asserted.
According to the minister, the government intends to intensify its collaboration with local authorities to develop urban master plans that redistribute the population from densely populated areas to other regions while ensuring the necessary infrastructure.
He explained that the strategy aims to rebalance urban development and improve quality of life in cities.
“This is a long-term process, but the principles and funding are already defined,” he said.
The minister announced that several institutions participating in the III Summit on Financing for Infrastructure Development in Africa have expressed interest in supporting projects focused on sustainable urban mobility and healthier cities.
However, he acknowledged that the state alone will not be able to solve the housing problem.
“The participation of the private sector is essential,” he said. Currently, several companies are part of the national effort to reduce the housing deficit,” he said.
Among the proposed solutions, he mentioned self-directed construction. In this model, the government provides plots of land, basic infrastructure, and technical guidance. It also defines standardized project types (A, B, and C). Citizens then build their own houses according to their resources and receive financial support from the banking sector.
The minister stated that self-directed construction has become popular in many African countries and has been crucial in reducing the housing deficit, improving urban mobility, and expanding infrastructure in an organized manner.
He stressed that the success of this policy depends on collaboration between the state, the private sector, and citizens to ensure more balanced, sustainable urban development.
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