WCCD CEO and Governor of Niger State sign MOU to establish the Minna-WCCD Local Data Hub
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| Patricia McCarney (front row, left) signs the MOU towards the establishment of the WCCD-Minna Local Data Hub with Professor Abdul Husaini (front row right), alongside His Excellency Abubakar Sani Bello, the Governor of Niger State, Nigeria (second row, second from left), the Nigerian Consul General (second row, third from left) and members of his Cabinet at the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations in New York. |
On Friday, July 28th, the WCCD President and CEO, Dr.
Patricia McCarney, was in New York to sign the initial MOU towards establishing
the Minna-WCCD Local Data Hub with His Excellency Abubakar Sani Bello, the
Governor of Niger State, Nigeria.
The Governor, alongside several members of his Cabinet and the Nigerian
Consul General to New York, stressed that the establishment of the Minna-WCCD
Local Data Hub was the beginning of a new phase of the WCCD’s longstanding
relationship with Minna, and that the Local Data Hub would be pivotal in
helping create a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive Niger state. “My
presence here in New York this morning, with some of my cabinet members and
technical staff, is to show our complete support and commitment to the
selection of Minna as one of the first eight WCCD Local Data Hubs,” stated
Governor Sani Bello. “I look forward to working with the World Council on City
Data, and [its] sister organization, the Global Cities Institute at the
University of Toronto, to improve the capacity of my staff and train our ever
enthusiastic youthful population.” The Governor went on to state that beyond
the Hub’s initial mandate to help cities and communities throughout Niger State
create a culture of data based on WCCD’s ISO 37120 standard, that eventually
the momentum would carry further throughout Nigeria and West Africa. He
underlined the importance of data in helping to not just build more sustainable
communities, but also more resilient communities in light of recent flooding
that resulted in loss of life.
The WCCD Local Data Hubs – launched at the
United Nations on July 17th – are a global initiative
that will drive the consolidation and collection of high calibre, globally
comparable and standardized city data throughout the world. Through the
implementation of WCCD’s ISO 37120 standard globally, cities are better
equipped to direct and inform investment, as well as localise global
agendas such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Speaking at the
signing ceremony, Dr. McCarney not only highlighted the WCCD’s longstanding
relationship with Minna, and Niger State, but spoke about the evolution of this
relationship through the establishment of the Minna-WCCD Local Data Hub. “Minna
and Niger State have been long-term partners of the WCCD. As a WCCD Foundation
City, Minna was essential in the effort to pilot ISO 37120, and moreover, was
one of the first cities to commit to this ambitious undertaking. The
establishment of a WCCD Local Data Hub in Minna will continue to drive this
cooperation, and further catalyse action throughout the City, the State, Nigeria
and the African Continent. The high calibre, standardized and internationally comparable
data that is generated through this Hub will help to drive infrastructure
investment, while helping to build sustainable and more resilient communities throughout
Niger State.”
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| Dr. McCarney presents Governor Sani Bello with WCCD City Data for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals |
In addition to the WCCD and Nigerian delegations, the event was also
attended by Mr. Amir Dossal, Founder and President of the Global Partnerships Forum and Ms. Amy
Gill, Local Governance Specialist - Responsive and Accountable Institutions
Team, at the United Nations Development Programme UNDP.
Beyond Minna, Nigeria, the initial network of WCCD Local Data Hubs includes
Johannesburg (South Africa), Makati (Philippines), Dubai (UAE), Los Angeles (USA),
Haiphong (Vietnam), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Cambridge (Canada). These cities are partnering with the WCCD to
build ISO-certified city data to drive progress towards local, national and
global agendas. The Local Data Hubs will focus on real action and results
through four critical objectives: showcasing leadership, demonstrating results,
catalyzing action and enabling city-to-city learning.
For more information, please contact:
James Patava
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