Nairobi ranked second fastest growing city in Africa
Nairobi is the second fastest growing city in Africa, a new report by the African Development Bank shows.
The financial institution’s Tracking Africa’s Progress report, released on Monday, places the Kenyan capital behind Dar es Salaam as the continent’s fastest growing cities.
The bank predicts the population in the commercial cities will rise significantly over the next 10 years.
Dar es Salaam’s is expected to rise from 4 million to 6.2 million, while Nairobi’s is likely to grow from the current 4.3 million to 6.24 million by 2025.
Economic growth
The situation is expected to offer the much-needed catalyst for economic growth by creating demand for goods and services.
“Future growth will be supported by this population boom … the urbanisation is driving the emergence of the middle-class,” said Mr Trevor Ncube, chief economist at the bank.
More and more people are trooping to cities in search for jobs.
By 2040, over half of the population on the continent will be living in urban areas.
But the growth, if not matched by investments in infrastructure upgrades, could pose serious challenges for urban planners, the bank warns.
While population concentrations in cities can be the foundation of rapid economic growth, cities can provide serious challenges to governments regarding food, jobs, housing, sanitation, transport, education and health care.
The bank says over half of the population in the two cities live in informal settlements while millions more cannot access basic sanitation services.