Digital solutions for sustainable cities in West Africa
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African cities: Unprecedented challenges and opportunities ahead
The population of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa will double in a generation, reaching one billion city dwellers by 2040. This will cause far-reaching socio-economic problems such as high unemployment, proliferation of informal housing and social polarization. The rapid population growth experienced by African cities will pose complex challenges in the decades to come, such as in terms of poverty reduction and environmental degradation. The digital revolution is profoundly transforming the way cities are managed and designed and offers a host of new opportunities. The digital transformation has great potential for innovation in areas such as health, agriculture, education, energy, financial services, and transport, in the cities of tomorrow. The rapid dissemination of mobile phones and digital technology in sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to facilitate a monumental leap and lead to increased economic development in African countries.
Assessment study and theory of change
This pre-feasibility study will:
- Write an assessment study on the use of new and digital technologies in the context of West African cities.
- Articulate underlying assumptions concerning the use of digital tools to enhance sustainable development and contribute to poverty reduction in West African cities.
West Africa, 4 target cities
The pre-feasibility study will focus on West Africa and in particular on four cities: Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Bamako in Mali, Cotonou in Benin and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.
Funding
This study is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation