In this viewpoint, published by Le Point Afrique, Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of AUDA NEPAD and SWAC Honorary President, calls for a paradigm change to support Africa’s urban transition. Mayaki insists on the importance of correcting some of deep-rooted misconceptions about Africa’s vast areas. “Africa is already urban,” he reminds readers. The design of appropriate and efficient policy interventions depends on understanding more about these urban realities. Read on

“What’s the role of international institutions in supporting African smart cities?” SWAC Secretariat Director Laurent Bossard presented the Africapolis database as a concrete example of how international organisations can help promote more understanding about the dynamics that shape Africa’s fast growing cities. He was a keynote speaker at the Afric’Up Startup Africa Summit, which gathered some 3 000 entrepreneurs, investors and innovators from 24-25 September 2019 in Tunis. Read on

Official Development Assistance for urban development is mostly channelled to big cities, benefitting some 63 million people or37% of the region’s total urban population of 171 million people. About 45% of urban development projects were implemented in agglomerations with more than 300 000 inhabitants. However, nearly half of West Africa’s urban dwellers live in small and medium-size cities. Considering West Africa’s rapidly growing small and mid-sized cities, development partners need to better target and scale up their support. Read on

UNESCO, in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Co-operation (AICS), launched on 13 July 2019 in Dakar a project on migration issues. Covering eight countries, the 3-million EUR project aims to better inform young people in West and Central Africa about the opportunities and challenges of international migration. The project will focus on capacity-building activities for young journalists and media representatives with a view to producing reliable information and creating a more balanced coverage of migration issues. Read on