Africities 2022 Summit: backbone of the continent, intermediary cities absorb most of the urban population growth, according to a report co-led by the African Development Bank.
ENPNewswire-May 20, 2022--Africities 2022 Summit: backbone of the continent, intermediary cities absorb most of the urban population growth, according to a report co-led by the African Development Bank
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Release date- 19052022 - Africities 2022 Summit: backbone of the continent, intermediary cities absorb most of the urban population growth, according to a report co-led by the African Development Bank.
On the occasion of the Africities 2022 Summit, taking place from May 17 to 21, in Kisumu (Kenya), the African Development Bank and Cities Alliance released on Wednesday in Nairobi (Kenya), a major report entitled 'Dynamics of Secondary Cities in Africa: Urbanization, Migration and Development' which provides a comprehensive overview, enriched with case studies, on intermediary cities of the continent.
'Intermediary cities are the backbone of the continent. They absorb most of urban population growth in Africa. Yet they face a significant investment gap and have very little financial resources of their own,' said Nnenna Nwabufo, the African Development Bank's Managing Director for East Africa.
Intermediary cities are home to about 15% of Africa's population. But their growth is accelerating. By 2040, two-thirds of the people who move to urban areas will be moving to intermediary cities. Consequently investment needs are growing. The challenge is now to guarantee basic social services and to turn these cities into economic growth hubs to rebalance the territories.
'The rural exodus towards the hypertrophied national capitals is generating enormous challenges. It is crucial to redirect part of these flows to intermediary cities, in order to reduce the pressure on the capitals,' says Babati Mokgheti, in charge of Urban Development at the African Development Bank. 'By investing in medium-sized cities, we create a territorial network that strengthens integration between metropolises and the countryside,' he added.
Over the past decade, the African Development Bank's annual investments in urban areas have more than tripled. Intermediary cities have been recipients of these investments. In Senegal, for example, the 'Promovilles' program initiated in 2017, supports thirteen intermediary-sized cities through the strengthening of transport networks and the consolidation of the technical capacities of municipalities.
Approved by the African Development Bank in 2019, the guidelines for supporting...
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