20TH JANUARY – 23RD JANUARY 2016

 

Emmanuel vincent 

National Coordinator , Fedup Association for the

Support of Urban Poor, Abuja, Nigeria

Tel: +234-7068487373

Email: emmyvin2012.gmail.com

 

INTRODUCTION

Urbanization refers to a process in which an increasing proportion of an entire population lives in cities and the suburbs of cities. Urbanization is an index of transformation from traditional rural economies to modern industrial one. It is a progressive concentration of population in urban unit.

Urbanization is indeed a way of changing people’s lives. It is proving to be unstoppable; a necessity yet it comes at a price. It brings unprecedented chaos and pains. Urbanization development in Africa remains haphazardly implemented and ineffective. Managing the urbanization process and it ramifications must therefore gain a central position in our overall policy.

For various reasons, the economic, political, social, human security and environmental cost of urbanization in African continues to gain momentum and to accelerate rapidly. There are no easy solutions, but certainly there are proper alternatives to support efforts by African governments and international partners to strengthen urbanization governance capacities.

Urbanization challenges and complexities in a spatial context lack indicators and are characterized by weak revenue bases in African cities. Economic inequalities and disparities are common and the urbanization of poverty continues to increase. Though African governments are working hard, poor utility services such as ready access to drinking water, proper sanitation and waste management, inadequate public transport facilities, inadequate health, education and basic care, social problems such as child abuse, rape, domestic violence, drug abuse, prostitution, begging in the streets, poor preservation of natural cultural heritage and increased vulnerabilities in slums must be urgently addressed to support urbanization. 

Land supply and management challenges also pose serious problems within the urbanization context for both the public and private sector. Responses by African governments to civil society organizations have not been welcoming as CSOs are seen as critics of politicians. What we would like to see is a better networking, information sharing and a mediatory role played between governments and its citizens to better articulate urbanization concerns.

 

SOCIAL EQUITY

Social equity relates to the fair treatment of differing populations, particularly those that have historically experienced disadvantages because of external characteristics. The central dilemma involving social equity and urban redevelopment is that some form of change in the physical environment is necessary to carry out redevelopment, but building the new often imposes some form of social cost while changing the old. 

Economic, social and environmental inequalities can be found at all spatial scales, including urban and intra-urban. Until very recently, accurate and reliable data has been scarce and comparing the conditions that prevail among cities and within or among countries remained difficult. As data now becomes available, some generalizations can be made, notwithstanding considerable variations between neighbouring countries or those within particular sub-regions. Often these reflect specific historical circumstances and/or the impacts of particular policies.

African cities on average exhibit the highest inequalities in the world, both individually (where city-specific data is available) and collectively (where co-efficients are available only for rural and urban areas). Many African cities can be found in the very high and extremely high inequality brackets. Whereas Latin American and Caribbean cities were until recently the most unequal in the world, UN-Habitat’s state of the world’s cities 2010/11 shows that they have been lagging African cities in recent years. 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

It is pertinent at this point to say that the challenge of urban inequality is to look at our whole development trajectory - and, in particular, to look seriously at the lifestyles of those at the top of our globalized society. Whilst conceptual changes move theory forward slowly, macroeconomic policy drives international inequities forward rapidly. Extreme affluence is concentrating rapidly in the hands of a very few. It is difficult to see how the term “social exclusion” can move the debate forward when the excluded form over 90 per cent of the global population, increasingly living in cities and “excluded” from aspirational models of wealth and power which are concentrated in the hands of an international oligarchy. Evidence of the health and social implications of urban inequalities demands a sophisticated reappraisal of what equity really means today.

But this is not the crux of the challenge - it is now clear that the behaviour of the “privileged counterparts” is the crux of the problem. It is an unsustainable pattern for the planet and it is linked profoundly to the disadvantage of the poor. The behaviour of the “privileged counterparts” sets up an aspirational model which will doom us all. The challenge is to recognize that the patterns of consumption and behaviour at the affluent top end of our societies - internationally and locally - must change; that they are inextricably linked to the health disadvantage at the bottom end of our societies. This is a point which is still far from real agendas (international or local). As the urban rich build their artificially isolated island fortresses and the urban poor die, it is crystal clear that there is a problem. That, at least, is the first stage - we know what the problem is and we know what should be done. It is far less clear how to move from what should be done to what will be done.

 

I hereby recommend that:

In the perspective of a sustainable development, cities ought to be studied in a comprehensive manner taking into account many interrelations between various urban issues.

United Nations should adopt enabling sector policies on national housing and urban development to resolve the challenges of unprecedented urbanization.

Countries under the aegis of the United Nations should develop and implement programmes and policies that would enhance the quality of life of individuals, promote rural-urban interactions, discourage rural-urban migration and make nations a better place for all.

We need to build a national and international consensus on the interconnections between cities and development as part of our national agenda on urban and regional development by recognising the positive link urbanization and development.

All tiers of governments in respective countries should be challenged on their expected roles and contribution towards the increasing population whose resultant effects is high level of urbanization, climate change, resource depletion, food insecurity and other challenges.

Land policies should be reviewed in various countries to create room for urbanization and upgrading of slums

Utility services such as portable drinking water, proper sanitation, waste management and public transport facilities should be provided to ameliorate the spate of inequality in various countries.

Responses by African governments to civil society organizations should be encouraged. What we would like to see is a better working relationship, networking, information sharing and a mediatory role played between governments and its citizens to better articulate urbanization concerns.

There is need for international monitoring to set bench marks for this new African urban agenda that would be monitored periodically.

 

Thank you for your attention and God bless you all and our nation Nigeria.