ECA: Rapid urban growth puts increasing pressure on Africa's infrastructure

Africa remains the fastest-urbanizing region in the world, but rapid urban growth is accompanied by significant infrastructural and governance challenges, Giuseppe Tesoriere, a representative of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said at WUF13 in Baku, Report informs.

He noted that the rate of urbanization on the African continent significantly exceeds the global average.

"The rate of urbanization in Africa averages 3-3.5% per year, compared to a global rate of approximately 1.5%, driven by migration and high birth rates. Such rapid urban growth puts increasing pressure on infrastructure and basic services, which directly impacts the daily lives of the population," Tesoriere noted.

He also emphasized that the region has significant potential for transformation and is already demonstrating positive changes, although the pace is currently slower than population growth.

The ECA representative identified the fragmentation of the governance system as one of the key challenges.

According to him, this is a matter of overlapping powers between national and local authorities, as well as an insufficient level of decentralization in the area of ​​urban governance.