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The African Real Estate and Housing Finance Academy (AREHF) has officially launched its maiden awards in Accra, aimed at recognising remarkable players in the real-estate and housing finance sector across the African continent and the critical role the industry plays in the provision of shelter for humanity. The awards, under the theme �Discovering and Celebrating Excellence�, are expected to draw participants from both public and private sectors of various African countries and will showcase operators who have engaged in significant real-estate and housing transactions that have had a positive social, economic and physical impact on the continent. The awards ceremony will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, is scheduled for March 29-30, 2012, and will provide a networking platform for all the real-estate players within Africa. It is expected that the country�s real-estate developers, architects and housing finance providers will compete against players from the rest of Africa for the awards being introduced in Africa for the first time. ? Mr. Roland Igbinoba, Director AREHF, speaking at a media interaction in Accra explained that the awards will have no monetary reward, but will be a recognition meant to celebrate the work of African real-estate developers. He said the awards will seek to expose the world to the huge potential of the sub-sector in Africa and attract investment. �It will serve as a motivation to real-estate and housing developers who have put in commendable effort in growing the market in Africa, and to challenge other operators. �The academy founded the awards ceremony to appreciate those who have put in reasonable and measureable efforts in boosting the real-estate and housing finance market in the African region. �Nominations for the award will be a contribution to innovation and creativity that translates to economic development and wealth-creation, environmental sustainability, and demonstrable public good,� said Mr. Igbinoba. �With 12 distinctive award categories, we want to discover and celebrate real-estate and housing finance players in the region,� he remarked. The award is sponsored by prominent international firms -- Pison Housing Company, the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association, the African Real Estate and Housing Finance Academy, Shelter Afrique and the HFC Bank (Ghana) Ltd.