Elsewhere
in
the
article,
his
description
of
Lagos
as
“remain[ing]
restless
and
occasionally
chaotic”
will
resonate
with
those
of
us
who
live
in
a
21st-century
African
city.
Yet,
as
he
rightly
adds,
“In
many
ways,
this
is
inseparable
from
the
unique
energy
that
powers
economic
dynamism
and
capacity
for
reinvention
–
qualities
that
have
long
defined
the
world’s
great
commercial
cities.”
But,
as
our
own
writers
ably
illustrate,
despite
this
momentum,
the
transition
toward
sustainable
growth
remains
incomplete,
witnessed
by
the
tension
between
the
potential
of
Africa’s
urban
centres
and
the
reality
of
their
current
infrastructure
and
governance
models.
If
our
cities
are
the
engines
of
transformation
Sanwo-Olu
describes,
then
the
capacity
to
manage
them
effectively
–
to
provide
services,
infrastructure,
and
an
enabling
environment
for
business
–
is
critical
to
success.
These
include
the
massive
deficits
in
housing,
transport,
and
energy
that
currently
hamper
the
productivity
of
many
African
metropolises.
Sanwo-Olu’s
article
serves
as
a
reminder
that
the
development
of
these
urban
hubs
is
not
merely
a
local
concern
but
rather
a
global
economic
necessity,
even
as
the
transformation
of
Africa’s
cityscapes
will
dictate
the
continent’s
economic
trajectory.
Finally,
the
governor’s
argument
that
cities
are
the
true
units
of
growth
provides
a
strong
framework
for
our
own
analysis
of
whether
these
urban
centres
can
bridge
the
gap
between
their
current
realities
and
their
latent
economic
potential.
It’s
clear
that
while
the
growth
is
inevitable,
the
quality
of
that
growth
remains
a
choice.
Whether
cities
like
Lagos,
Johannesburg,
Nairobi
and
even
Cairo
remain
fragmented,
survivalist
spaces
or
engines
of
prosperity
depends
on
the
decisions
made
today
regarding
urban
governance
and
planning.
To
read
the
complete
collection
of
articles
in
the
current
issue
of
AIF,
please
go
to africainfact.com.
Susan
Russell
–
Editor,
Africa
in
Fact
