Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to gain 748 million urban residents between 2025 and 2050.
This projection is from the new World Bank Group report, “Sub-Saharan Africa’s Urban Awakening: Catalysing Economic Growth and Job Creation,” released Thursday.
The report states that this growth presents opportunities for economic development and job creation if governments prioritise strategic investments in areas where firms can cluster and workers have access.
It notes that rapid urbanisation could generate more and better jobs for the region’s growing youth population if governments invest in infrastructure, transport, affordable housing, and urban planning.
The report observes that urban households already spend significantly more per adult than similarly educated rural households, reflecting greater access to employment opportunities in cities.
World Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer Mr Paschal Donohoe said Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban transition could transform the region’s job market.
Donohoe added that investments and reforms in infrastructure, land, connectivity, and financing could attract private capital, boost productivity, and create formal jobs for millions of young Africans.
Mr Mark Roberts, World Bank Senior Urban Economist and report co-author, noted that Africa’s urban transformation will succeed only if cities have the institutions and resources to manage growth effectively.
“Stronger urban governance, more predictable financing, and greater accountability are essential to turn rapid urbanisation into better infrastructure, more investment, and ultimately more and better jobs.”
According to the report, realising the economic potential of urbanisation requires targeted interventions to address the distinct challenges facing major cities, their expanding outskirts, and smaller towns.
The report recommends that governments in major cities prioritise accessible, job-rich clusters by investing in infrastructure, public transport, and affordable housing.
It also calls for stronger regulations to help businesses and workers locate closer to economic opportunities.
For rapidly expanding city peripheries, the report advises governments to establish road networks and reserve land for essential infrastructure before development becomes entrenched.
The report highlights the often-overlooked economic potential of over 15,000 towns across Sub-Saharan Africa and recommends selective investment in locations with strong economic and geographic advantages.
It ideIt identifies towns along transport corridors and those near economic opportunities as priorities for targeted infrastructure development and improved urban planning. The report said that rapidly growing towns required appropriate governance structures and financing mechanisms to manage expansion and provide essential services.
It notes that improved property tax collection could enhance cities’ creditworthiness and attract private investment, including through public-private partnerships in strategic urban locations.
The report states that decisions made now will shape the region’s urban development for generations and urges governments to combine targeted infrastructure investment with stronger institutions, improved urban planning, and financing.
It states that mobilising private capital alongside public investment is essential to ensure that rapid urban growth leads to greater economic opportunities and more and better jobs across Sub-Saharan Africa.
