Growth potential viewed in Africa's midsized cities

Leaders and experts have urged African countries to focus on intermediary cities in the development of more balanced and sustainable urban systems as well as achievement of inclusive, safe and resilient urbanization as stipulated in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

The leaders, who spoke on Tuesday during the launch of The City We Need Now! Africa Campaign ahead of the 9th edition of the Africities Summit to be held from May 17 to 21, said intermediary cities could play a key role in boosting the continent's national economies as accelerators of regional development.

Intermediary cities have populations of 50,000 to 1 million, and generally play a major role in connecting key rural and urban areas to basic facilities and services.

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of UN-Habitat, said intermediary cities will be important in driving change, noting that the continent is expected to have the world's fastest-growing urban population over the next 30 years.

Sharif said intermediary cities are more manageable, less congested, have lower densities, provide better access to housing, and services, as well as better mobility for people and goods.

She added that the cities will play a key role for Africa as marketplaces, processing centers for natural resources, agriculture, investments, and administrative hubs.

"By putting secondary cities at the heart of national urban strategies, national and local leaders will give a second chance to Africa, leaving no one and no place behind," Sharif said.

She also said Africa is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Infrastructure gaps

"Urban areas as we know them are increasingly at risk, struggling with deepening inequalities and infrastructure gaps. The pandemic has worsened the plight of slum dwellers in the continent," Sharif said.

Anyang' Nyong'o, governor of Kisumu County in Kenya, appealed to African mayors to join the campaign and meet in Kisumu for the largest summit on African cities.

He said Africa has the fastest growing cities globally and has exponential needs for affordable energy, sanitation, solid waste, healthcare services, and transport－the reason behind the celebration of intermediary cities during the upcoming summit.

"Kisumu is one of the fastest intermediary and growing cities in Africa. The city will help demonstrate ambition and achievement for African cities during the summit," he said.

The City We Need Now! Africa campaign will not stop at Africities in May. Campaigners will continue spreading the word and raising ambitions for African cities toward the 11th session of the World Urban Forum convened by UN-Habitat in Katowice in June and the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh in November, he said.

Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, secretary-general of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa, said the world is compelled to address the double health and climate crisis and find solutions in the continent.