Open doors of African cities to the world - report

An artist’s impression of Konza City. A new World Bank report says such projects open the door to regional and global investors. [photo: file/standard]

The World Bank has challenged Africa to grow its cities at the pace its population is growing. In a report titled, Africa’s Cities: Opening Doors to the World, the global lender says that Africa’s urban population will double over the next 25 years, reaching one billion people by 2040, up from 472 million people currently.

As cities grow, another 187 million people will be added to urban areas by 2025. That is like adding Nigeria’s population to African cities.