Nhood, a pioneer in ESG initiatives on one of Africa’s largest new town projects
Press releases
Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC with a population of nearly 18 million, welcomes more than 2,000 new residents every day. To respond to this rapid urban growth, the country has launched a new town project to the east of the capital, Kinshasa Kia Mona, led by the Strategic Committee for the Supervision of the Kinshasa City Expansion Project. Nhood, an international urban regeneration operator, is coordinating a consortium of experts tasked with defining the project’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy.
The consortium brings together CDC Biodiversité, a subsidiary of the Caisse des Dépôts Group specialising in biodiversity engineering and ecological restoration, the world-renowned scientist Carlos Moreno, a professor at IAE Paris-Sorbonne and theorist behind the ‘Quarter-Hour City’ and ‘Half-Hour Territory’ models, as well as several specialist technical partners.
The Kinshasa Kia Mona project involves the development of 43,323 hectares in the municipality of Maluku.
It is set to accommodate 5 million inhabitants and create over a million jobs by 2035, centred around an industrial estate, urban development zones, a green belt, an agro-pastoral zone, a logistics hub and a marina.
As part of its ecological approach, the project incorporates green spaces, urban agricultural areas and infrastructure solutions that respect ecosystems, with a view to avoiding and reducing environmental impacts and preserving natural capital.
Nhood has built its partnership with the CSSPEVK through a series of missions carried out in Kinshasa since November 2025, which were extended during the ‘French Week’ organised by Medef International in April 2026.
These discussions have resulted in an exclusive negotiation framework under which Nhood, as lead partner, is set to coordinate the delivery of a comprehensive ESG assessment: biodiversity and climate, water risks, social and territorial impact, and alignment with international standards (IFC performance standards, TCFD recommendations, Equator Principles).
“ESG must, in this context, be a decisive factor in the choices that will be made and in the project’s ability to attract investors and financial institutions. Our ambition is to give Kinshasa Kia Mona the momentum it needs to become a benchmark for major urban projects in Africa,” says Antoine Grolin, Chairman of Nhood.
Read the full press release at the top of the page.