By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The African Cities Research Consortium ACRC has reiterated it’s commitment to tackle urban development challenges in Africa’s rapidly changing cities.
The research consortium added that Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, is one of the 12 African cities in which ACRC engages communities, researchers, agencies, state actors and other stakeholders in urban transformation.
Unveiling the challenges of urbanization yesterday in Maiduguri at the ACRC stakeholders’ research uptake workshop, which took place at Duijma International Hotels, Maiduguri, the Research Uptake Lead, Babakura Bukar,
disclosed, “Young people face many challenges including lack of access to high quality education, unemployment, drug abuse and exclusion from formal decision-making processes.”
The media, academia, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organizations, CSOs, non-governmental organizations, NGOs, among others, attended the workshop.
Bukar lamented that most of the young people remain optimistic about graduating from schools to gain decent employment opportunities, but to no avail.
Besides, he added that despite several safety and security interventions in the last decade of Boko Haram atrocities, there are reported cases of periodic clashes among youth’s groups in some communities.
“There were mobile phones snatchings and burglary,” he said, forcing many residents in low-income areas to resort to locally mobilized self-defense.
The ACRC workshop, themed: “Tackling Priority Complex Problems to Unlock Urban Systems,” was to explore positive transformation that leads to economic growth, improved well-being and inclusive development at all levels.
Bukar averred that the inclusive development of cities comprises political settlement, land and connectivity, safety, as well as youth and capacity development in Borno State.
He noted that the Boko Haram insurgency has impacted on the trajectories of developmental pattern of Maiduguri city.
On the potential domains of the research consortium, he said that they included housing, informal settlement, health and well-being, youth capabilities and economic development.
He enthused, “African cities growth has been dependent on natural resources and, with urbanization without significant levels of structural transformation.”
According to him, it has failed to lay the foundations for future prosperity in most of the African countries.
Besides, he added, “Increasing growth has led to more opportunities and the potentials to reduce poverty, but livelihoods remain difficult for low-income households in urban areas on commodity markets for their basic needs of life.”
Bukar attributed the challenges of urban development to lack of access to services, including portable water, sanitation and waste management and the impact of pollution from household and commercial activities.
He added, “They have led to poor health in low-income neighborhoods in the 12 rapidly changing cities in Africa.”
The Borno State Commissioner for Environment, Yerima Saleh, while declaring the ACRC Stakeholders’ meeting open, disclosed, “The problems we have in our society is the management and control of population,” adding that this is related to discipline among the residents.
He added, “When governments provide infrastructure like drainages, then the people dump refuse there and this creates environmental challenges.”
The Director of ACRC, Martins Atela, in a virtual presentation from Nairobi, Kenya, sought support of the federal and state governments in the implementation of research findings on Maiduguri city.
