| Overview : The economic dynamism of cities provides livelihood opportunities and social mobility possibilities not found in rural areas. However, cities are also home to significant concentrations of the poor and marginalized. Urban poverty is growing and the World Bank estimates that, by 2035, most of the world’s extreme poor will be found in urban areas. With an average yearly economic growth estimated at 4%, Africa hosts most of the world’s fastest growing economies. This economic growth is typically concentrated in big cities that have large segments of the population residing in slum areas. In Africa, it is estimated that the slum population totals 195.5 million which represents 61% of its urban population. Some of the largest slums in the world are situated within Africa; Nigeria for example, has the 9th largest urban population in the world and is home to some of the largest slums in the region; in Kenya, Kibera is estimated to host 2.5 million slum dwellers, while cities in Central African Republic are just an agglomeration of slums, as 96% of the country urban population lives in informal settlements. |
