N'djamena — African countries should enact policies that recognize the potential for urbanization to strengthen economic growth and development across the continent, says Ms. Semia Tapia of the Economic Commission for Africa's Division for Social Development Policy (SDPD).
Speaking at the end of a National Training Workshop on Urbanization and National Development Planning, which recently took place in N'Djamena, Chad, Ms. Tapa said no stone should be left unturned at steps are taken to ensure urbanization reinforces rather than retard prosperity.
"As African countries seek to achieve inclusive economic growth to combat poverty, unemployment, inequality and informality, among other challenges, it is imperative that their policies recognize and realize the potential of urbanization," she said.
"Cities, if well planned and managed, can become engines of structural transformation through the expansion of the productive sectors of the economy, including industries and services."
The national training workshop was organized by ECA and the Ministry of Economy and Development Planning of Chad, under the auspices of the United Nations project to develop the capacity of Member States to design and implement strategies for inclusive and sustainable cities in Africa.
The aim of this project, as well as the national training workshop, was to enable participating Member States to harness the potential of urbanization for structural transformation, inclusive and job-creating economic growth.
Chad's urban areas, although representing just over 20 percent of the country's population, account for more than 40 percent of its GDP.
With the steady increase of the urban population in the country and a demographic transition towards a very young population, cities will play a central role in determining the country's development trajectory in the coming years. Therefore, the strategic alignment of urbanization in the country's national development plan is imperative.
In the light of the above, the National Training Workshop on Urbanization and National Development Planning was of crucial importance.
The workshop brought together key national development planning officials, as well as representatives of local authorities and the private sector, to deliberate on an action plan for the global and strategic integration of the urban agenda in the national development plan of Chad.
The meeting resulted in the development of an action plan defining the main entry points for integrating urbanization into the national development plan.
The national training workshop was closed by Ms. Sanda Ildjima Mallot, Secretary General in the Economy and Development Planning Ministry.
She stressed that urbanization was imperative for Chad's development, adding the workshop was therefore of considerable importance.
