Is urbanisation a blessing or a curse for sub-Saharan Africa?

The high rates of urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa are being fuelled by rapid population growth and mass rural-to-urban migration. Although urbanisation is generally considered to be a universal driver of economic development, it is also recognised that most theories of economic development are based upon the historical development paths of ‘western’ societies and therefore do not necessarily apply to developing nations. There is little doubt however that urbanisation provides the means for increased economic and social development. Cities offer many opportunities for both rich and poor to increase their incomes, political influence and access to services such as education, health, and transport that are lacking in rural environments (WHO 2010). The agglomeration of people in urban centres is linked to structural adjustments in a nation’s economy from a low-income agrarian society to a higher income, industrial and service-based economy. As incomes rise and money becomes available for investment in urban infrastructure, the capacity for further economic and social development increases.

Urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa has contributed to high levels of economic growth in recent decades (>5% between 2000 and 2010)(Barton and Leke 2016). Although Africa remains the most rural region on the planet, cities are playing an increasingly important role within the continent’s growing economy. Large cities such as Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, now account for significant proportions of their country’s GDP (17.5%) (NBS & RCO 2014), while the city of Lagos alone is the 7^th largest economy in all of Africa – higher than that of countries such as Kenya and Angola (Kazeem 2016). The economic benefits of urbanisation are also being translated into social developments as service provision is substantially higher in cities than it is in rural areas. In 2015, approximately 87% of those living in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa had access to “safe water” compared to 56% in rural areas (WHO/UNICEF 2015). 

However, economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is slowing (~3% in 2016) and is currently lower than population growth (World Bank 2016). Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where rates of urbanisation are much higher than rates of economic growth (Molen 2014). Although there have been reductions in the incidence of extreme poverty in recent decades, it still remains high (43% in 2012) and overall economic growth has been much less able to reduce poverty in Africa than elsewhere in the world (World Bank 2016). The implications of this can be seen clearly in many of sub-Saharan Africa’s major cities. The proportion of the urban population living in slums is higher in sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else in the world (>60%) while some countries such as Sierra Leone have more than 95% of their urban population living in slums (UN-HABITAT 2010). Those who most need it are not feeling the benefits of economic growth and the result is that many of Africa’s cities are being dubbed ‘oceans of poverty with small islands of wealth’ (UN-Habitat 2010 p12). 

As for water and sanitation provision in urban areas, there is evidence to suggest that this too is suffering to a greater extent compared to previous decades. Thompson et al. (2000) investigated changes in domestic water use between the 1960s and 1990s in rural and urban areas across East Africa. Their findings showed that while rural water supplies improved during the time period, urban water supplies showed signs of fatigue under the stresses of rapid population growth. Urban per capita water use fell by almost half between 1967 and 1997 due to the deterioration of piped water supplies, leading to an increased reliance upon expensive private water vendors. The increased unreliability of urban water supplies is suggested to have had a negative effect on hygiene, as less water is available for activities such as washing. 

There is little doubt that urbanisation is a necessary prerequisite for economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa. The growth of cities has allowed many millions of people to have access to better economic opportunities and social services compared to those offered by traditional rural societies. However, the challenge exists where rates of urban population growth are so high that urban governance structures are unable to keep pace. Slums are an unfortunate product of this, however it is important that slum dwellers are not viewed as part of the problem. Acknowledging that these people represent resources rather than problems is critical if people-centred, sustainable urban development is to be achieved (UN-Habitat 2010).