Overview of the project

Africa today is experiencing rapid population growth which puts the continent in a position where it would make up half of all people on the universe in the coming years. The rising urbanization in Africa is already throwing up slums, urban poverty, and rising inequality, such that the bulk of which resides in Africa’s cities are characterized by unsustainable waste management, poor energy access, high youth unemployment, inequality, poverty and exclusion leading to increased crime and other social vices. This paper presents three variables: (a) Community-ness (b) Policies (c) Technology, which should inform the conceptual framework for developing African cities into smart and sustainable cities. The paper also made the connection of sustainable cities with the concept of restorative economy (Tearfund Restorative Economy Report, 2015) and drawing from the African Union Agenda 2063 (Africa we want). The paper concludes with strong recommendation that developing African cities sustainably requires the deployment youth energies in developing sustainable cities in Africa and riding the crest of youth energies, creativity and innovativeness with lessons from the work of Jos Green Centre (a youth movement in Nigeria) and their proposed climate innovation hub, as a model for transitioning African cities into sustainable cities.