Urban Development in African Cities

The traffic-choked streets of Lagos, Nigeria may be a harbinger of the future in the continent's major cities, many of which are experiencing explosive population growth and urbanization, in some cases with little comprehensive planning to mitigate the effects of unchecked growth. An article by Max Bearak, Dylan Moriarty, and Júlia Ledur describes the projected growth of five African cities, the legacy of colonial planning, and the lessons they hold for the future of the continent. 

In Lagos, Nigeria, overcrowded housing conditions and inadequate infrastructure force many people to live in densely packed quarters lacking basic utilities. In countries like Sudan and Congo, war and other political crises push refugees into cities, creating a massive influx of people seeking safety and opportunities, exacerbating poverty in urban centers.

Meanwhile, China is gaining influence in African nations as it provides government-backed loans to support infrastructure projects in cities such as Djibouti, Luanda, Angola, and Lubumbashi, Congo. Overall, "Chinese institutions invested more than $200 billion in the transportation and power sectors across Africa between 2000 and 2017, according to the AidData initiative at William & Mary, the Virginia college."

Highlighting the urgency of the need for improved infrastructure and institutional reform, the article notes that "Several recent studies project that by the end of this century, Africa will be the only continent experiencing population growth. Thirteen of the world’s 20 biggest urban areas will be in Africa — up from just two today — as will more than a third of the world’s population."