Cities, Growth and Jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa

Well-planned and managed cities (urbanization) are the powerhouses of economic growth and employment. Urbanization and growth are symbiotically linked: no country has ever reached middle income status without a significant urban transition. Thus, cities (urbanization) shape the direction of economic incentives, activities and business opportunities. They offer economies of scale, agglomeration, act as transport hubs, and provide markets for goods and services. More fundamentally, cities generate growth and employment opportunities through infrastructure development and by attracting domestic and foreign investments in various sub-sectors such as housing, construction, ICT and the digital economy. Given that Sub-Saharan Africa is the second fastest urbanizing region after Latin America and the Caribbean, the region should make urbanization count by making strategic investments in its urban population and infrastructure development to unlock the economic potential for growth and employment creation. The cost of inaction on urbanization has the potential to dim future development prospects in the region. The time to act and invest in urbanization is now!