A recent World Bank report has highlighted concerns over the quality and relevance of urban planning training in Africa, warning that a surge in the number of professionals without a corresponding improvement in training could have limited benefits. The report emphasises that any increase in the quantity of urban professionals must be matched by a quality surge to effectively manage the expansion of African cities. According to the report, Sub-Saharan Africa faces a significant shortage of engineers, architects, and urban planners.
The report cites a significant disparity in the availability of professionals between Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK. In 2019, Sub-Saharan Africa had 0.22 engineers per 1,000 people, compared to 0.63 in the UK. The disparity is even more pronounced in architecture and urban planning, with Sub-Saharan Africa having 0.033 architects per 1,000 people, compared to 0.62 in the UK, and 0.01 urban planners per 1,000 people, compared to 0.33 in the UK. This highlights the scale of the professional-capacity gap facing the region.
Urban planners play a crucial role in determining how cities grow, including guiding land use, coordinating infrastructure development, and ensuring that housing, transport, water, and sanitation services keep pace with population growth. A shortage of these professionals, coupled with gaps in training, can weaken the ability of governments and urban authorities to anticipate development needs and prepare for the demands of expanding populations.
The report cautions that simply increasing university enrolment and producing more graduates will not necessarily address these challenges unless institutions also ensure that their programmes remain relevant to the changing demands of urban development. A 2015 UN-Habitat review of university urban-planning curricula in Kenya found that the University of Nairobi had made only minor changes to its master's curriculum in urban planning since the programme was introduced in 1971.
The World Bank report highlights the importance of keeping professional training programmes aligned with changing urban development needs. As African cities continue to expand, universities and professional training institutions face the task of preparing graduates with the expertise needed to manage increasingly complex urban environments. The report's warning is that addressing the shortage of professionals without investing in the quality and relevance of their training risks leaving cities without the capacity required to plan and manage sustainable urban growth.
The shortage of urban professionals is particularly pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, with countries such as Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia facing significant gaps in training. The report argues that institutions must ensure that their programmes are relevant to the changing demands of urban development and that increasing the number of professionals without improving the quality of their training could undermine efforts to manage rapid urbanisation.
The World Bank's findings underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the shortage of urban professionals in Africa, one that prioritises both quantity and quality of training. As the continent continues to urbanise, the demand for skilled professionals will only continue to grow, making it essential for institutions to adapt their training programmes to meet the changing needs of urban development.
Key points
- World Bank report highlights shortage of engineers, architects, and urban planners in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Increasing number of urban professionals without improving quality of training could undermine efforts to manage rapid urbanisation.
- Institutions must ensure that their programmes are relevant to changing demands of urban development.
