Mohamed Halfani was one of those traced by the study. He spoke to IDRC about his life’s work.

Current Position: Chief, Urban Governance Section and Officer In-Charge, Urban Development Branch at UN Habitat Regional Office for Africa and Arab States
Home Country: Tanzania
IDRC Support Received: Program-Related Award for PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto (1983-1988)

Mohamed Halfani rarely sees the walls of his UN Habitat office in Nairobi, Kenya. As Chief of Urban Governance and Officer In-Charge of Urban Development, he is most often travelling between African and Arab countries, trying to persuade the region’s policymakers to adopt sustainable urban policies.

Two decades before he began working to influence international urban policy, Halfani studied political science at the University of Toronto with IDRC support.

“IDRC’s support was more than receiving a grant from an unknown donor in Ottawa,” says Halfani. “It opened avenues for me, connected me to networks. It linked me up to a number of strategic actors who have been useful throughout my career.”

IDRC’s grant enabled Halfani to conduct research at major libraries in the United Kingdom, undertake fieldwork in Tanzania, and join various research networks.

His PhD thesis examined the factors that made urban housing programs effective in Tanzania. His research exposed him to concepts in urbanization, development, and the workings of public institutions – preparing him for a multi-faceted career that would cut across all sectors of development.

After completing his PhD, Halfani returned to Tanzania where he assumed a leadership role at the University of Dar es Salaam’s Institute of Development Studies. He also worked as a consultant for various international organizations and Tanzania’s Office of the Prime Minister, advising on areas such as government decentralization and community-based development.

Halfani was also part of a 1995 IDRC-supported mission to advise the new African National Congress-led government of South Africa on urban policies.

Between 1998 and 2003, Halfani worked in senior positions at the Organization for African Unity and played a key role in its rebirth as the African Union.

In 2003, Halfani joined the UN Habitat’s Regional Office for Africa and Arab States, where he oversees activities related to urban governance, post-conflict resolution, and the environment.

As urban planning gains recognition as a critical development issue, Halfani says he has “been very proud to make a contribution with an African voice.”


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