Urbanization and development in Africa: the role of the Economic Commission for Africa

Abstract

Urbanization is one of the most important shifts that the African continent will undergo this century. In the three decades since 1990, Africa has added nearly 400 million people to its cities, and over the next three decades to 2050, the continent will add an additional 900 million. As a result, the proportion of the continent’s population living in cities will rise from 43.5 per cent in 2020 to some 50.9 per cent by 2035. Most African countries are still early in the urbanization process and now have a significant opportunity to leverage the power of growing cities to promote inclusive growth. Strategic policies and investments at the regional, sub regional, national and subnational levels will prove critical in that regard. The Urbanization and Development Section at ECA deploys its knowledge and convening power to support member States in leveraging urbanization to promote job creation, urban productivity and regional integration. In doing so, ECA brings an urban lens into national development, economic and sectoral planning and regional integration policies. The three main pillars of this work are Urban job creation; Productive cities and urban systems; Cities and regional economic integration.