The promise and pressure of Africa’s urban boom
17-12-25
“When cities grow without planning, people lose out,” says Darline Tognia, coordinator of Africa Development Bank’s Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF). She explains why the Danida Fellowship Centre’s series of learning programmes for urban planners and practitioners in African cities across the continent is crucial to meeting this challenge.
By Vibeke Quaade
Africa is urbanising faster than anywhere else in the world, and many of its cities are struggling to keep pace. According to the latest projections by OECD, the continent’s urban population will double by 2050 — rising from around 700 million today to approximately 1.4 billion.
As a response, the African Development Bank launched the Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF) in 2019 to support the African cities manage their growth and become socially, environmentally and climatically resilient. The fund supports urban planning, project preparation and access to finance, elements that are essential for carrying out successful urban and municipal infrastructure projects.
Denmark supports UMDF through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. As part of this support, Danida Fellowship Centre has entered into a three-year agreement with UMDF to deliver training activities for urban planners and practitioners from cities across Africa.
The first cohort of 25 participants, representing eight cities across eight African countries, arrived in Copenhagen in October to take part in the learning programme “Sustainable Urban Development and Resilience – Local Climate Actions.”
Accompanying them was Darline Tognia, UMDF’s coordinator. She explains that the purpose of the training was to enhance capacity across different areas of urban management, foster networks, and lay the groundwork for collaboration. See the LinkedIn posts from Day 1 and Day 11
“Urban development challenges are interconnected, and all the solutions start with diagnostics and planning,” she says.
Darline Tognia is a lawyer who applies her expertise in her role at the Urban and Municipal Development Fund, where she encounters the following challenges daily:
“The challenges are all interconnected – urban planning, housing, water and sanitation, waste management, transport/mobility, jobs. You can’t fix one without thinking of the others. That’s why we insist on planning first. Without planning, and planning with a holistic mindset, you will not get anywhere. At UMDF, our approach integrates four complementary pillars: strategic urban planning, urban project preparation financing, enhanced local governance, and institutional capacity building.”
The Urban and Municipal Development Fund provides both technical and financial assistance as these are closely linked. It helps cities carry out urban diagnostics of what needs to be done, to develop an impact-oriented Action Plan, and to identify investment projects to be matured through grant funding and advisory support. This project preparatory support enables cities to make their projects investment-ready and attract the right investors for large-scale implementation.
From plans to projects
One of UMDF’s flagship initiatives is the African Cities Programme which supports cities in identifying their needs and in prioritising investments.
“If a city realises it needs a new waste management system or a transport plan, it can approach UMDF for help,” explains Tognia. “We provide technical assistance by hiring technical experts to work directly with the municipal authorities. We also ensure that there’s political buy-in from the government and the community. Without that, the chances are that plans will remain on paper.”
A central part of UMDF’s support is project preparation – transforming plans into bankable projects capable of attracting investments. This is the most important aspect of the UMDF’s assistance to the cities.
“It’s one thing to have a good idea. It’s another to make it investable,” she says.
“Preparing a project properly, with all that it takes of preliminary studies, environmental assessments, engineering designs and so on, easily costs between 5% and 20% of the total project budget. Most cities can’t afford that. UMDF can help fill that gap.”
The urban paradox
Despite its potential, Africa’s urbanisation presents a stark paradox. On the one hand there is no doubt that cities drive growth. On the other hand, without proper planning, they can deepen inequality.
“People moving into cities are seeking opportunity – but if housing, transport and jobs don’t keep pace, they end up in informal settlements with poor access to services,” says Tognia. “Women and young people are especially affected. They are often the first to lose out when cities fail.”
She therefore also emphasises that UMDF’s approach goes beyond infrastructure project preparation and planning processes:
“We take a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach in supporting cities, which includes strengthening governance, improving financial management, and building the skills of municipal staff. A sustainable city needs capable people in many different roles, all of whom must be able to work together and recognise the benefits of doing so.”
To meet these needs, the Danida Fellowship Centre’s training programmes must also be multifaceted and target a range of disciplines. Over the next three years, training is planned in “Solid Waste Management and Technologies”, “Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Water Cycle Management”, and Transformative Governance and Leadership for Municipal Development – in addition to the recently held “Sustainable Urban Development and Resilience – Local Climate Actions.”
Building cities for people
At the heart of Darline Tognia’s work is the belief that urban development is about people.
“I’m passionate about development because I believe it’s the most effective way to truly change lives. When cities are well planned, inclusive and resilient, the services that are essential for everybody’s livelihood, like water and sanitation, jobs, housing, transport and other forms of urban infrastructure, follow – and with these come safety, equality and new opportunity.”
Her goal, and that of UMDF, is to help African cities prepare for a future shaped by global upheaval and climate change – a world of rising temperatures, growing populations and greater uncertainty – but, with the right planning and preparation, also one full of potential and hope.
“What we’re aiming for are cities that are climate-resilient and liveable, cities that can grow in a way that benefits everyone – socially and economically.”
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