Experts explain how cautious urban planning will drive future cities growth

Construction and environment experts have offered useful insights on how future cities of Africa will evolve, saying that the growth and success of those cities will depend largely on cautious urban planning and development. They added that the growth will also depend on how compatible and compliant builders and their buildings will be with nature.

The experts spoke at a three-day event tagged ‘Future Cities Africa Green Building Summit 2024 which, according to Green Building Nigeria, organizers of the summit, is an ‘Amber Firing the Hope and Vision of Africa into a Better Future. The summit was intended to proffer solutions to energy, housing, environment, and infrastructure challenges on the continent.

The experts noted that future cities of Africa are envisioned to be sustainable and resilient with diverse transportation systems and profound social amenities, placing emphasis on green materials and the environment as other major growth drivers.

“My vision of future cities is one where cities have efficient waste management, green technologies, renewable energy source, all leading to affordable housing and robust transportation system,” Mohammed Bago, Niger State governor, noted in his keynote address at the summit.

The governor spoke on couched his speech on, ‘Future Cities of Africa: A Vision for Tomorrow’s Urban Landscape;’ highlighting some challenges which, according to him, could hamper the realization of sustainable and resilient future cities.

He listed those challenges as rapid population growth and urbanization, explaining that by 2030, rural-urban migration will rise to 60 percent. “If adequate provisions are not made to withstand the pressure from this movement, there will be severe problems as the number of slums and other social problems will increase and lives will be jeopardized,” the governor said.

He noted that climate change is another threat to future cities, pointing out that there will be greenhouse gas emissions as a result of combustible cars, energy consumption and inefficient waste disposal which may lead to a rise in sea level, extreme weather conditions and heat waves.

Governor Bago, however, noted that encouraging green buildings with an emphasis on green infrastructure and sustainability which include green rooftops and walls will reduce urban heat, absorb pollutants and support wildlife conservation.

He added that rainwater harvesting and management, which involves storing up rainwater efficiently for use, will reduce the use of municipal water supply frequently and reduce flooding just as incorporating renewable energy sources in buildings will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the same vein, Christain Mulamula, the IFC Principal Officer and Head of Office in Nigeria stressed the need to build green urban cities, noting that the rapid rise in urban population due to the movement of people from rural areas to the cities as a result of lack of basic amenities is a major challenge.

“The urban centres have become so congested that there is excessive pollution and greenhouse emission due to human activities like burning, inappropriate waste disposal and industrial waste through sewages,” Mulamula said.

“There is also the problem of water supply as there are more people who jostle for portable water; there is no provision for renewable energy sources,” he noted, urging both private sector operators and the governments in African countries to collaborate in order to protect and provide sustainable solutions in the areas that are considered important to the building of green cities.

He advised that there should be policies for improving lives and the environment in the cities, explaining that this will guarantee the sustainability of green buildings. He encouraged financial institutions across Africa to support green building construction projects in order to ensure a better future for Africa.

On her part, Nasra Nanda, chair, World Green Building Council (GBC) Africa Regional Network/CEO KGBC, said that Africa is a unique continent, adding that its climatic composition can only be understood by Africans. “The need to relate the climate and ecosystem of Africa to other continents of the world won’t provide a sustainable solution to the problem of the continent.

Great thinkers and idea-driven individuals across Africa should come together to proffer effective solutions towards Africa’s building; the future of Africa begins with you and me; change will happen if we all come together to take charge of our dream,” she said.

Earlier, there were workshop and seminars which trained youths across Nigeria who were passionate and enthusiastic about changing the narratives in the area of energy, urban development and housing.

Prizes were won by members of the various teams created and headed by the organizers for the purposes of the seminar and workshop. Adetola Adeoye and Abdullahi Oyeladu, both winners in their respective teams, commended the initiative, pointing out, among other things, the need to provide energy and power sources to local farmers through solar to ensure increased food production.