Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
March 29, 2023.
The African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) has vowed to tackle urban development challenges in rapidly changing African cities.
According to the Consortium, Maiduguri, Borno state is one of the 12 African cities in which it engages communities, researchers, agencies and other stakeholders in the urban transformation processes.
Unveiling the challenges, yesterday (Wednesday), in Maiduguri at the ACRC Stakeholders’ research uptake meeting, Haruna Ayuba, the Research Uptake Lead, disclosed: “Young people face many challenges including lack of access to high quality education, unemployment, drug abuse and exclusion from formal decision-making processes.”
He lamented that the young people remain optimistic about graduating from schools and gaining decent employment opportunities.
“Despite several safety and security interventions in the last decade, there are reported cases of periodic clashes among youth’s groups in communities,” he noted.
Besides, he added that; “There were mobile phone snatchings and burglary,” stating that many people in low-income areas resorted to locally mobilized self-defense.
The ACRC theme: “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.
According to him, the inclusive development of cities comprises political settlement, land and connectivity, safety, as well as youth and capacity development in Borno state.
He said the Boko Haram insurgency has also impacted on the trajectories of developmental pattern of the Maiduguri city.
On the potential domains of the Research Consortium, he said: “They included housing, informal settlement, health and well-being, youth capabilities and economic development.
“African cities growth has been dependent on natural resources and, with urbanization without significant levels of structural transformation,” he said.
This, he explained failed to lay the foundations for future prosperity in most of the African cities.
“The increasing growth has led to more opportunities and the potential to reduce poverty, but livelihoods remain difficult,” he said, noting that low-income households in urban areas depend on commodity markets for their basic needs of life.
Ayuba attributed the challenges of urban development to lack of access to services, including portable water, sanitation and waste management.
He said this included the impact of pollution from household and commercial activities
The Borno State Commissioner of 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.
Continued; “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.
End.
