In brief
On October 31, 2026 the World Bank issued a report urging sub‑Saharan African governments to harness accelerating urbanization for growth, job creation, and improved living standards. The brief highlighted stark demographic growth, the spill‑over challenges of youth employment, and outlined policy measures including smarter urban planning, infrastructure investment, stronger regulation, and private‑sector mobilization. Key uncertainties remain around productivity, income growth, and the high prevalence of informal, low‑wage work.
At a news release in the capital of Manguin Abidjan on Oct. 30, the World Bank announced a new study urging sub‑Saharan African governments to transform the region’s swelled cities into engines of growth and jobs.
The report describes an explosive rise in urban residence: from 170 million people in 1975, 913 million by 2025, and a projected 1.7 billion by 2050 – a surge that underscores the scale of the challenge for job creation.
Each year around 15 million young people newly enter the African labour market, a trend that the bank notes demands urgent attention on quality employment and skills development.
Published under the title ‘Africa’s Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation’, the briefing recommends targeted improvements in urban planning, infrastructure, transport, regulation, and land governance to create productive employment.
Marie‑Chantal Uwanyiligira, division director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea, and Togo, said the region suffers from limited productivity gains and slow income growth, while many jobs remain informal and poorly paid.
“productivity gains remain limited, incomes have grown slowly, and too many jobs remain informal and poorly paid.”
Specific data from Côte d’Ivoire illustrate the stakes: 17.84 million out of a population of 32.8 million live in urban areas, and towns with more than 100 000 residents rose from eight in 1998 to 17 in 2021.
The country’s 2026‑2030 national development plan, according to the bank, prioritises urban development, mobility and improvements in living conditions to tackle these numbers.
Central to the bank’s strategy is the mobilisation of private capital – directed at financing urban infrastructure and essential services that can absorb the growing labour force.
While the report offers clear policy prescriptions, it also highlights the remaining uncertainties: productivity gains remain limited, incomes have grown slowly, and an overwhelming share of new jobs remain informal and poorly paid. The bank’s analysis stops short of providing a definitive solution, leaving these questions open for policy debate and future research.
