Urbanization is one of the most powerful megatrends shaping African development, presenting a major opportunity to connect a growing share of the region’s population to better public services, quality education and higher productivity jobs. As Africa’s cities are still being built, the region has the opportunity to leapfrog ahead of the challenges currently faced by regions that urbanized early. Africa has an opportunity to tap into new technology and implement climate-smart development.

To unlock this potential, the continent must address the challenges of underinvestment in African cities that have resulted in infrastructure deficits, housing shortages, informal settlements, environmental degradation, social inequalities, economic disparities, and poverty that impede the opportunities for economic growth and development, technological innovation, and improved living standards.

At the just concluded Africa Urban Forum focused on “Sustainable Urbanization for Africa’s Transformation - Agenda 2063,” experts from various fields, including governments, academia, urban planners, economists, architects, developers, community leaders, residents, civil society, the private sector, development agencies, and practitioners from across Africa delved deeper into Financing Urbanization for socio-economic transformation and Sustainable and resilient urban development in Africa, and explored innovative solutions and avenues public, private sectors and development agencies must tap into to move from commitment to action on inclusive and sustainable urbanization in Africa.

From the 3-day forum that involved plenary sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and exhibitions, participants adopted a Declaration that makes recommendations on among others, investment opportunities, development models, and revenue generation. The participants will advance these commitments at the national, regional, continental and global platforms.

Here is a summary of the five broad actions Africa must advance to realize liveable cities for its growing population.

1. Strengthen Political Will

Member states must design national territorial plans for human settlements that align infrastructure investment and human settlements development, environmental management, greening and public spaces with inclusive economic development, to support the role of cities and towns in socio-economic development. States must establish national urban forums for the implementation of integrated and inclusive national urban policies that underpin the national territorial plan to address urban planning and inequalities, consequences of climate change, and financing needs. Implementation of the “Africa Urban Resilience Programme” (AURP) offers actionable solutions to increase the capacity of cities to address shocks and stresses related to climate change and disasters. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can also boost efforts of coordinated cross-border investment strategies that foster alignment and cooperation partnership between cities and regions of Africa.

2. Implement institutional Framework and Policy Alignment.

The African Union, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and other development agencies and institutions were called upon to elevate the management of urbanization among the priorities of the political agenda of Africa at the local, national, regional and pan African levels. The finalization of the development of the African Union model law on Housing and Urban Development by the African Union Policy Organs could also add to reference documents that give guidance on inclusive and sustainable development.

3. PromoteResource Mobilization and Financial Planning

National governments must put in place transparent mechanisms for sharing public financial resources in order to ensure that investment and operations costs of managing urban development are met at the appropriate level of governance as articulated in the African Charter on the values and principles of decentralization, local governance and local development. African and international finance community must explore innovative ways and financial models that are responsive to the needs of the low income groups to finance investments in African cities and regions, including leveraging funds for investments through bonds issuing on the capital markets; the creation of special purpose vehicles, equitable access to climate finance, and public-private-partnerships (PPP), with due consideration that the African Countries should take up the funded programmes based on their self-determined development pathways. Equally, financial institutions should support the development of fit-for-purpose housing policies to address the need of low-income earners, basic services such as water, electricity, roads, waste management, healthcare, among others, to unlock the potential of the housing sector as a basis for job creation, industrial development, and revenue generation to bridge the financing gap in housing and urban development industries. African cities and Regions should develop comprehensive financial plans that include long-term gender-and-climate-sensitive budgeting for infrastructure and social services, and to harness own-sourced revenues to strengthen financial sustainability. 

4. Advance Capacity Development and Knowledge, Reporting and Accountability.

This involves accelerating the adoption of digital technologies across urban planning, governance, and reporting processes, ensuring seamless integration of digital solutions to foster sustainable urban development. Strengthening harmonized regional frameworks to enhance monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on urbanization progress, enabling effective collaboration among member states and improved data-driven decision-making. Enhancing capacity building for urban planners, local government officials and officers, and community and civil society organizations leaders by partnering with academic institutions as well as exploring the potential of open-source online knowledge products and peer exchange system to reinforce traditional training and capacity building programs. Further, to develop a comprehensive set of data systems and performance indicators to track progress towards the aims of the present declaration, using both qualitative and quantitative metrics.

5. Strengthen Partnership, Advocacy, Outreach, and Communication.

Enhance collaboration between the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, development agencies and financing institutions to mobilize strategic support and resources. Enhancing engagement with non-governmental stakeholders and community-based organizations to ensure diverse perspectives and expertise are incorporated into urban development initiatives, strategies, and actions. Further, promoting inclusive and sustainable urban planning approaches that actively involve all stakeholders, including women, youth, elderly, people with disabilities and other marginalized and vulnerable groups, in the decision-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation process.

• Download the Declaration here.
• Read the African Cities at a Crossroads: Closing the Urban Infrastructure Investment Gap Background document here.
• Read the Africa Urban Forum Background document here.
• Read the A Harmonized Implementation Framework for the New Urban Agenda in Africa here.
• Access photos of the event here- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1E-GF7hU_qkBUz8HPq9YSfC99SNEbYXK9

For more details about the Africa Urban Forum, visit https://au.int/en/newsevents/africa-urban-forum #AfricaUrbanization.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Doreen Apollos | Directorate of Information and Communication; African Union Commission | E-mail: ApollosD@africa-union.org

Mr. Isssaka Garba Abdou | Head of Division | Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department | Email: GarbaAbdouI@africa-union.org