The future of African cities

MY  reference  to  what  is happening to the architecture of African cities commences with the proposed Atlantic City in Lagos, where  I reside. This multi-billion dollar residential and  business  development, being built  on  10 sq kilometers of land reclaimed from  the Atlantic  Ocean will provide luxury  accommodation for  at least 200,000 people, and employment opportunities for a comparable number. Similar  up-market cities  can  be  found in Kenya:  Tatu  City;  Ghana: Hope & King  (Appohoria); and  Congo DRC: La Cite  du Fleuve, all of  which  are  being elevated,  among others, to compliment the ‘Uprising Africa’.

While  these developments are mostly executed  by developers within the developed nations, I do not endorse the luxuries that go along with them, which are not only  unrealistic but a consumer fantasy that measures their environment to  a  foreign pedestal without   relating to the economic challenges of people within.  Such  examples include not accounting for poverty   supported by informal living, or  a  population growth that remains  unchecked but is a potential economic asset. While  most  African nations  may  have the funds to replicate developed nations’ cities,  my  fear  lies  in the  inability to properly utilise  vast  human resources in the face  of numerous economic challenges.  A  typical   example  is Kilamba City  in Angola that  people avoided because  they found the up­market accommodation, meant  for thousands of people, not only expensive but also culturally out of place.

A quote  from  Shakespeare as far  back as 1608: “What is a city but the people”, remains pertinent today. And  this  is a challenge to the development of our cities. Should we accept  the replication of   developed  nation’s  African  cities? This   has   been   a   yardstick    for   our architecture  and    development. And, unfortunately for most African cities, such an  architecture relies  on  building materials, finishes  and components provided  by   developed  countries. While this may be the way forward from a global perspective, the cost to most African nations   must  be  considered. I do  not  accept  that  finishing materials and   components that  constitute   over 70  percent  of  the  building  developments are  imported. This drains our  nations’ reserves  and   should rather  be   used for   Research   &   Development  (R&D) or    introducing   more    consumables. How  much  longer will  African cities be ‘importers’ of  their  architecture and to whose benefit?

If the intention of the global community is for  all to  become one  people, race and  culture, and   thereby   erasing   our tradition  and   heritage, then we  may continue with the trend. But the human development  of   Africa   and   of   most African nations  may  then  need  at least another  50   years   to catch   up   with today’s standard of developed nations. Expecting  developed nations  to remain stagnant while  we  try  to  catch   up  is highly unlikely, and  this    indicates that we need  to develop a uniquely African solution for our  cities. Until we collectively   wake up   to this reality, African cities will remain confused in terms  of how  they address the needs  of their  people, provide affordable humane shelter, jobs, adequate infrastructure, facilities and security and instead develop inclusiveness  for growth in all aspects.

Sub-Saharan Africa   is reported to be moving faster than the rest of the world in terms of advancing city development. Is this culturally being adopted or simply a means to checkmate poverty by over flogging   developments that    become dilapidated?  We   see   this   especially in  housing developments that  over  a number  of  years  become  slums  due to overpopulation, and accommodating excesses of unemployed  residents which  makes  the management of  facilities impossible given  the  rising  cost  of  the imported components that  are  pegged against the  dollar. Compounding this is that  local currencies are devalued at least once if not more within a decade.

Africa’s population must be controlled and managed to ensure that its cities are not overstretched through informal settlements, and leaders do not use the migration of the people as a political propaganda. A recent World Bank  survey reported  that Africa’s cities  are growing at 5.1 percent a year. The   likes   of   Abuja,   Lagos, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Mbouda    (Cameroon)   are    however experiencing between 6.2 and 7.8 percent growth annually. Such organic population growth, coupled with internal in-migration of rural to urban, needs to be checked by our leaders and Africa’s development teams. African nations must   develop rural/urban cities that will provide the opportunity needed to provide R.I.C.E. (Research, Innovate, Connect, Empower). This slogan, adopted by the African   Union of  Architects   at  its  54th Council meeting in  Lusaka,   Zambia, in  June  this  year,  is reflective  of  what the  union has  embraced in the  past few  years of re-branding the African architect and  architecture.

At the union’s recently concluded 55th Council meeting in Monrovia, Liberia, I humbly requested, in my short  speech, as its immediate past president, that  the  President  of  the  Republic   of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, adopt adopted R.I.C.E not  only  in her  capacity as the present Chairperson of ECOWAS but   as  a   respected   member  of   the African Union (AU). To my  delight, this  adorable  president requested  that Liberian  architects should research the historical Providence Island within the framework and to also innovate and  connect    with    the    government. She gave  a reassurance that  they  would be empowered to  engage with  us. This is not just a statement of hope but a wake­ up call for developing African solutions.

Finally,  our  cities  must  see industrialisation as  an  important tool for  ensuring sustenance. Our  leaders  should not only encourage industrialisation, but  provide incentives to  developed nations for  relocating factories/industries to the continent and thereby  providing employment for  our teeming youth population. A   UN    Habitat  survey   reveals    that Africa has the highest growing  youth population in the  world below  the age of 30 years, yet  the   population remains uncontrolled and  un-managed. If people ore happy, employed and  not under  paid, our  cities  will work; there will   be   less corruption  and   security challenges. The future of African cities remains in limbo and  acquiring what  we  cannot afford continues to  be promoted naively.  What is new on the African cities architecture remains mixed with different euphoria pertaining to what  is rising or what consumers find attractive.   Where is the African culture  and  heritage headed? Cities are meant for the people and not the people for the cities.

Chief Tokunbo Omisore is the immediate past president of the African Union of Architects