Serving Africa’s Citizens: Governance and Urban Service Delivery

Abstract

Between 1950 and 2050, Africa’s urban population is expected to multiply by nearly 46 times, from 32.7 million to 1.5 billion. In 2040 African cities will host around a billion people, equivalent to Africa’s total population in 2009. This urban growth is characterized by a massive youth surge, while economic growth is often taking place without job creation; inequalities are widening; and per capita incomes are lower than in other world regions at similar urbanization levels. Moreover, the new century brings unprecedented pressures linked to climate change, global pandemics, worsening security threats and growing migration flows. Growing urban populations put cities at the heart of governance, with the future of the continent thus placed into the hands of its cities. This poses a huge and immediate challenge, putting to test the capacity of local governments to step up public service provision for a population increasingly critical about the access and quality of these services. However, all these intertwined challenges could also constitute a transformative opportunity for Africa. Besides presenting an overview of the present context of urban public service delivery in Africa and an assessment of public service delivery in key sectors—from health to education to housing to waste management—this chapter will focus on urban policies and planning to foster and trigger sustainable and equitable development, improved governance and public service delivery, as well as a renewed sense of participation and citizenship.