The Role of Urban Innovation in Africa's Emerging Cities in the Time of COVID-19

When we set out to organize an event on urban innovation in Africa as part of this year’s virtual Skoll World Forum week, we knew we wanted to draw attention to Africa’s urban future. Two-thirds of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050. Africa and Asia may account for 90 percent of the world’s urban population growth between now and then. How these cities evolve, especially in Africa where two-thirds of its cities are yet to be built, will be of vital importance to the lives of billions of people and the future of the world. 

Conversations about Africa’s urban future are even more timely because people living in slums and informal settlements are very vulnerable in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Against this backdrop, on Thursday 2nd April, we brought together leading urban practitioners and innovators including Edward Glaeser – Professor of Economics at Harvard University and author of the best selling book, Triumph of the City, Abosede Alimi – Director of Strategy, Funding and Stakeholder Management at the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Miriam Roure – Senior Director at URBAN-X, Astrid Haas – Policy Director at the International Growth Centre and George Kibala Bauer – Advocacy Manager at the GSMA Mobile for Development Utilities Programme for a conversation moderated by Emmanuel Adegboye – Head of Africa, Utopia.

Some of the questions we explored included:

• Who are the urban innovators currently shaping the future of African cities and how can they be supported? 
• How do government policies impact the urban innovation landscape?
• What lessons can African urban practitioners and innovators learn from the work of researchers, investors, and urban practitioners on how cities have evolved globally? 
• How is COVID-19 impacting emerging cities and how might it shape their future?
• What trends will likely drive Africa’s urban future? 
• What opportunities exist for different stakeholders to partner with innovators and entrepreneurs shaping African cities.

We define urban innovations as product or service innovations that make cities better for the many, not just the few. 

Some key themes and takeaways from the conversation include:

1. Africa is experiencing “urbanization without growth.” The expansion of informal settlements will drive the majority of urban growth in most of Africa, by where the majority of the urban population in least developed countries live. This creates vast inequalities for the urban poor, limiting economic growth and human capital development.
2. The world is changing fast, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now is the time to shape African cities to withstand future pandemics.
3. Startups will be key to solving accumulated urban problems, especially with the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic. African cities will require innovation to manage their societies and economies in the face of rapid population growth paired with a  paucity of resources and infrastructure. 
4. Digital solutions are emerging. The expansion of mobile connectivity throughout developing countries has enabled (an emergence of) digital solutions such as pay as you go services, GIS tracking, smart metering, IOT, and big data solutions that make vital basic services more accessible and affordable. 
5. Access to basic infrastructure must continue to be a priority. Progress cannot be sustained in the absence of other critical basic infrastructure like access to clean running water and sanitation. This must be a priority for governments and policymakers. This infrastructure is expensive and requires adequate planning.
6. Governments must harness their regulatory power to foster innovation. This starts by unleashing the power of land (which is key for coordination, planning, and financing), coupled with ensuring liveability through adequate and affordable housing, and connectivity through improved public mass transportation, underpinned by data and research to support evidence-based policymaking.
7. Public private partnerships are a key requirement for harnessing urban development and innovation in Africa. It’s crucial that governments co-create with entrepreneurs. Urban innovations will only work if governments prioritize properly and form progressive partnerships with urban innovators.
8. Access to capital is key. Capital needs to come through in different ways, more flexibly, more creatively, in order to accelerate the development of services for the majority of urban dwellers.

As an immediate next step, Utopia announced the Lagos Urban Innovation Challenge, designed to support innovators and entrepreneurs who are shaping the Lagos of tomorrow. Applications are open from 6th April to 31st May, 2020, and we are interested in urban innovations across various themes that make the city better for everyone, including those in slums and informal settlements. Learn more and apply here.

Utopia is the world’s first urban innovation group focused solely on emerging cities and their slums. We’re investing into the future of African cities through the Megacity Fund and we’re building out the platform and infrastructure for urban entrepreneurs to transform their emerging cities through a network of CITYLABS (urban venture studios) across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.