By: Mohamed J. Bangura
Sub-Saharan Africa needs to create approximately 15 million jobs annually to accommodate its rapidly growing workforce, as the region’s urban population is projected to increase by 748 million between 2025 and 2050, reaching 1.7 billion.
A new report has outlined a roadmap for governments to turn the rapid expansion of African cities into economic opportunities through strategic urban planning, infrastructure development, investment and improved governance.
The report highlights the potential of urbanization to drive economic growth, generate employment and improve living conditions, provided governments make the necessary investments to prepare cities for their expanding populations.
For major cities, it recommends developing employment-generating economic clusters supported by improved infrastructure, efficient transport systems and affordable housing located close to workplaces and business centres.
It also encourages governments to introduce reforms that enable businesses and workers to operate closer to economic opportunities, thereby increasing productivity and expanding employment.
For rapidly expanding urban areas, particularly those on the outskirts of major cities, the report calls for early investment in road networks and the reservation of land for essential infrastructure and public services.
Such proactive planning, it notes, would help governments avoid the rising costs associated with unplanned urban development while ensuring that sufficient land is available for future infrastructure and services.
The report further identifies smaller towns as important drivers of regional economic development. It recommends investing in towns with strong economic potential, particularly those located along major transport corridors.
It also emphasizes the need to strengthen education and healthcare services to ensure that people in surrounding communities have access to better opportunities and can participate more effectively in the labour market.
On financing and governance, the report recommends modernising property tax systems to increase local government revenue, improve the financial standing of cities and attract private-sector investment.
It also highlights public-private partnerships as an important means of mobilizing additional resources to finance infrastructure projects and support sustainable urban development.
With Sub-Saharan Africa expected to experience substantial urban population growth over the next 25 years, the report stresses that effective planning, investment and governance will be critical to transforming this demographic shift into sustainable employment, stronger economies and improved livelihoods.
The projections present an opportunity for African governments to position cities as engines of economic growth while ensuring that the region’s expanding workforce benefits from the opportunities created by urbanization.