ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Experts and policymakers attending a continental urbanization-themed forum on Wednesday called for collaborative efforts to explore innovative solutions for African cities to thrive as centers of hope, growth, and prosperity.
They made the call during the inaugural Africa Urban Forum 2024, which opened Wednesday under the theme "Sustainable Urbanization for Africa's Transformation: Agenda 2063" in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
The Africa Urban Forum is a continental platform that promotes sustainable development in African human settlements. The African Union (AU) and its members established the forum in 2022 in response to the rapid rise of urbanization in Africa, its opportunities and challenges, and the need to create a continental-scale forum to support an inclusive and holistic approach to unlocking the potential of urbanization on the continent.
Addressing the forum, Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program, said as Africa's population is expected to double by 2050, African cities should be prepared to accommodate the needs of the projected rapid population growth.
According to the AU, the rapid urbanization in Africa presents significant financing challenges that require substantial investments in infrastructure, services, and social amenities to accommodate growing urban populations. The forum is expected to address the issue of financing urbanization in Africa.
It said traditional financing mechanisms often fall short of meeting the scale and complexity of urban development needs in Africa. The phenomenon requires urgently identifying innovative options for financing urbanization, including public-private partnerships, development financing, and community-based financing models.
Experts and policymakers attending the forum said challenges attributed to lack of infrastructure and services, unplanned settlements, significant informal economies, dependence on commodity extraction and exports, as well as institutional gaps have continued to undermine the links between urbanization and industrialization in many African countries.
Claver Gatete, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, in a message delivered on his behalf, emphasized the need to address the major bottlenecks that hamper sustainable urbanization in Africa. He said the inaugural forum will play a crucial role in laying the foundation for the continuous and sustainable development of African cities.
According to the AU, with an average annual urban growth rate of 3.5 percent in the last 20 years, Africa has seen the largest urbanization in the developing world, and this trend is anticipated to continue until the year 2050.
Temesgen Tiruneh, deputy prime minister of Ethiopia, underscored the need to exchange ideas and experiences to advance sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous cities across Africa, with an overarching goal of realizing the AU's 50-year continental development blueprint, Agenda 2063.
Adanech Abiebie, mayor of Addis Ababa, said the transformation of African cities will serve as an engine for the continent's economic development and beyond. "African cities have huge potential for development. Leadership plays an irreplaceable role in harnessing the potential of cities, and mayors are at the heart of this role. Ensuring habitability, safety, and resilience is our top priority."
Studies show that urbanization in Africa varies by region, with each area having its own geographic and historical contexts. East Africa has the lowest rate of people living in cities, while South and North Africa lead in urban growth, followed by Central and West Africa, which are home to some of the largest megacities in Africa.
"African cities and towns will be built one way or another in the next three decades. How they are built will determine the prospects for the continent and the viability of global sustainability efforts for the remainder of the century," the AU said.
The inaugural Africa Urban Forum 2024, which runs until Friday, brought together African leaders and ministers, local authorities and mayors, representatives from the private sector, think tanks, and financial institutions, among others.
