World Bank Says Africa's Cities Will Add 748 Million People by 2050

Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to add 748 million urban residents between 2025 and 2050, according to a new World Bank report that frames the region's urban transition as either a powerful driver of job creation or a deepening of informality and poor living conditions.

The report, Sub-Saharan Africa's Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation, released on Thursday, says rapid urbanisation could transform the region's employment landscape if governments prioritise infrastructure, affordable housing, transport networks, effective land management and financing for expanding cities.

World Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer Paschal Donohoe said the transition could reshape the region's jobs market. "Sub-Saharan Africa's urban transition can transform the region's jobs market," he said, adding that reforms and investment in infrastructure, land, connectivity and financing could help cities attract private capital, raise productivity and create formal jobs for millions of young Africans.

The report argues that major cities should prioritise accessible, job-rich locations where firms can operate efficiently and workers can reach employment centres, and recommends investment in transport and affordable housing alongside regulatory reforms that make it easier for businesses and workers to locate closer to economic activity. It also urges governments to lay road networks and reserve land for essential infrastructure at the edges of major cities before unplanned development makes later interventions more difficult and expensive.

Beyond the largest cities, the bank identifies more than 15,000 towns across Sub-Saharan Africa as potential contributors to growth. Rather than spreading resources thinly, it recommends targeted investment in towns with strong economic and geographic prospects, particularly those along transport corridors and near existing economic opportunities, while strengthening education and healthcare in places with weaker immediate prospects.

Financing and governance are identified as the central constraints. World Bank Senior Urban Economist and co-author Mark Roberts said Africa's urban transformation will depend on stronger institutions, predictable financing and greater accountability, warning that without effective governance and adequate resources rapid population growth may not translate into better infrastructure, investment or jobs. The report recommends using low-cost technology to modernise property tax systems, improve revenue collection and strengthen local authorities' financial capacity, which it says could improve cities' creditworthiness and attract private investment, including through public-private partnerships.

For Nigeria, the findings put the focus on whether Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Ibadan can match expanding populations with housing, transport and services, with the bank arguing that decisions taken now will shape the region's urban development for generations.