On the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrated in Yaoundé, Dr. Ahmadou SARDAOUNA addressed the challenges and issues of building decent housing accessible to all social classes.
The CEO of SIC, Dr. Ahmadou SARDAOUNA (3rd person from the far left), the Swiss Ambassador, and real estate stakeholders at the Yaoundé Congress Palace.
The Yaoundé Congress Palace recently hosted the festivities marking the 50th anniversary of the National Order of Architects of Cameroon (ONAC). On this occasion, the Cameroon Real Estate Company (SIC), led by its Director General (DG), Dr. Ahmadou SARDAOUNA, participated in the activities. Under the patronage of its president, Jean-Christophe Ndongo, the related activities took place from May 5 to 10 in Yaoundé.
In a context where the national housing deficit is estimated at over 2.5 million “units, SIC presented its battle plan for better home ownership. Faced with this social problem, SIC reaffirmed its role as the secular arm of the” State. Hence the all-out mobilization to offer Cameroonians decent, accessible, and sustainable housing.
The Swiss Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E. Nathalie Kohli, delivering her speech during a conference.
As a panelist at a round table discussion on the theme: “Social Housing in Cameroon by 2035: Challenges and Prospects,” the DG reviewed the multiple strategies developed and actions taken by the government. This was in the presence of the Swiss Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E. Nathalie Kohli, and other co-panelists. For SIC, real estate development and urban planning will contribute to achieving the development objectives of the SND30.
Challenges and Issues
According to SIC’s explanations, these strategies take into account the realities of the sector both outside and inside the country. Internationally, this includes participation in HABITAT I, II, and III summits, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Athens Charter. Nationally, SIC has integrated technological innovations and sustainability principles into its vision since 1976. This led to the launch of the government program for the construction of 10,000 social housing units and the development of 50,000 buildable plots in 2009.
Based on the Strategic and Development Plan, which involves private developers, SIC reveals the challenges and issues of social housing on many levels (demographic, fiscal, land, technical, legal, and financial). Despite this situation, the housing industry is making progress to meet the massive and regular demand from all social strata.
With a production estimated at less than 16,000 units since 1952, falling short of social expectations, SIC has been expanding its efforts since September 2020. This is through the construction of 40,000 housing units, including high and middle-income housing, and 30,000 social housing units.
