capital cities in Africa is little short of extraordinary. Between
1940 and 1960 Africa's overall rate of urban growth - at about 5 per
cent per annum - was said to have ranked with the world's highest rate
of u r ban growth. 13 A s far as u r b a n i z a t i o n in W e s t A f r i c a is
concerned, in t w o thirds of the c o u n t r i e s of that region, the
p o p u l a t i o n of the c a p i t a l c i t y is r e p o r t e d to have m o r e than
quadrupled over the last two decades. 14 we may now proceed to
identify the main reasons behind such an unprecedented rate of growth
of the capital cities in Africa.
cansES
One cannot give a true picture of the root causes of influx of
people into the capital cities in Africa without first of all tracing
the history of such capital cities as far back as the colonial era.
A l t h o u g h t h e m a s s i v e d e v e l o p m e n t i n v e s t m e n t s a n d i n d u s t r i a l
transformation that have taken place in most of the capital cities of
Africa in the past few years are contributory factors to their present
inadequacy, the history behind their present geographical location is
largely responsible for their inability to cope w i t h the mass
population movement in recent years.
QOfflWIAfi KRA
Most of the capital cities in Africa came into existence during
the colonial scramble of the past one and half centuries. Although
78
It can be seen (from Table 1) that the projected growth of somecapital cities in Africa is little short of extraordinary. Between
1940 and 1960 Africa's overall rate of urban growth - at about 5 per
cent per annum - was said to have ranked with the world's highest rate
o f u r ban growth. 13 As far as u r b a n i z a t i o n in W e s t A f r i c a is
concerned, in two thirds of the c o untries of that region, the
p o p u l a t i o n of the c a p i t a l c i t y is r e p o r t e d to h a v e m o r e than
quadrupled over the last two decades.I
4
We may n o w proceed to identify the main reasons behind such an unprecedented rate of growthof the capital cities in Africa.
CAUSES
One cannot give a true picture of the root causes of influx of
people into the capital cities in Africa without first of all tracing
the history of such capital cities as far back as the colonial era.
A l t h o u g h t h e m a s s i v e d e v e l o p m e n t i n v e s t m e n t s an d i n d u s t r i a l
transformation that have taken place in most of the capital cities of
Africa in the past few years are contributory factors to their present
inadequacy, the history behind their present geographical location is
largely responsible for their inability to cope w i t h the mass
population movement in recent years.
Most of the capital cities in Africa came into existence during
the colonial scramble of the past one and half centuries. Although
territories in ways and manners best suited to it, there was one
motive, among others, which was common throughout the period that
witnessed the territorial acquisition. This was the economic factor.
The economic viability of an European state then depended on the
extent of its overseas possessions. The only major avenue into the c o a s t a l
interior part of / colonies was through the river valleys. It
therefore became very convenient for the colonial masters not only to
operate from the coastal towns but also to have them as their base for
speedy link with Europe. Virtually all the coastal towns and cities
started as small settlements and were so situated because at one time
or another their sites served as important contact points between
Africa and Europe. Such settlements included Rufisque, in Senegal;
Bissau, in Guinea; Accra, in Ghana; Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania;
Port-Novo, in Benin Republic and Lagos in Nigeria just to mention a
few. Thus, the locations of these cities were determined principally
by their accessibility from the sea and by the productivity of their
hinterlands. This was necessary as far as the colonial powers were
concerned. It was the best way they could facilitate the transhipment
of all forms of natural resources from their newly acquired colonies.
This simply shows how the present capital cities were literally
imposed on various countries of Africa. As far as the colonial
masters were concerned they saw such imposition as a necessary
strategy to maximize their administrative and economic convenience.
No sooner had these countries got their political independence
than they realised the need to readjust their socio-economic and
political priorities to conform with the current needs and aspirations
countries today realise that the physical location of a capital city
does not only reflect its political direction but also determines its
economic status and infrastructural development. This w i n d of
realization which blew across many countries in Africa has led to the
emergence of several new capital cities. Their emergence was also a
natural response to the rapid urbanization and its concomitant social
problems in the former colonial capital cities. We may briefly
examine some of these social problems and the ability of such cities
to cope with them.
MIGRATION
There has been a big physical and cultural gap between the
capital cities and the countryside in Africa during and after the
colonial periodic. Long after Independence, urbanization in Africa is
c h a r a c t e r i s e d by severe in e q u a l i t i e s . 16 Even though t h e post
Independence era in most African countries has witnessed a great deal
of improvement in the fields of transportation, communication and
other infrastructural services, such improvements were only found
within the capital cities. Any one who ventures beyond the capital
cities of these countries is stunned by the disparity between the
concentration of resources in the capital cities and the neglect that
is the fate of much of their hinterlands. The concentration of so
much political, amdinistrative, educational and economic activities in
Dakar, Conakry, Free-town, Monrovia and Abidjan, almost to the total
neglect of other parts of these countries, was described as one of the
main factors of urban problems in those countries.I