Unpacking housing challenges in African cities (01:06:00)
The housing challenge in African cities is far from consistent. With differing historical, sociopolitical and economic contexts, cities are seeing urbanisation play out along differing trajectories – ...
Fortifying food systems in Lagos (00:47:49)
As in many cities worldwide, food production and management in Lagos is hugely complex – involving many different actors, shaped by various political dynamics and deeply intertwined with many other ur...
Understanding urban property tax with Samuel B Biitir (00:31:06)
As urbanisation accelerates across Africa, cities are under growing pressure to deliver essential infrastructure and public services – such as water, sanitation, drainage and electricity. Yet this exp...
Action research spotlight: Healthy school meals in Nairobi (00:31:58)
School feeding programmes are a vital safety net for vulnerable children, providing them with healthy and nutritious meals that they might otherwise miss out on. Such initiatives are not new and have ...
Why do land brokers matter in African cities? (00:52:17)
Recently published ACRC research, exploring land and connectivity in African cities, found “land brokers” to be significant players within urban land markets. In Mogadishu, Somalia and Kampala, Uganda...
Lessons in resilience from the Maiduguri floods (00:21:47)
On Tuesday 10 September 2024, Maiduguri city residents woke up to an unparalleled natural disaster: flooding that severely damaged over half of the city and resulted in the significant loss of lives. ...
Politics and progress in Accra with Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai (00:41:35)
Accra is home to around 5 million people and plays a crucial role in Ghana’s national political landscape. Located on the coast of West Africa, development trajectories of the city are significantly i...
Advancing inclusive housing in Lagos (00:55:05)
Two thirds of people living in Lagos reside in informal settlements, often in flood-prone areas and with limited access to basic services. As more and more people move into the city, the already high ...
Urban reform coalitions: Foregrounding tacit knowledge with Lalitha Kamath (00:56:35)
“No textbook can tell you how to do this.” ACRC defines inclusive urban reform coalitions as partnerships between government, experts and civil society organisations – often directly involving commun...
Action research and coalition building in Nairobi (00:29:50)
“From the design of the project, from the design of the tools, to implementation, to data collection and everything, the community should be at the lead, at the forefront, speaking about their issues....
Politics and informality in Kampala with Peter Kasaija (00:37:03)
"Informal settlements in Kampala, and in other cities elsewhere across Africa, they are not homogenous, they're very heterogeneous. The kinds of pressures they face – social, environmental, political,...
Urban reform coalitions: The role of researchers (00:51:37)
Urban reform coalitions can play a critical role in building inclusive, sustainable and productive cities. Made up of diverse stakeholders who collaborate to achieve common goals, these coalitions can...
Unlocking better housing for Lagos (00:30:43)
“The city keeps on growing every day. New infrastructure is being brought in every day. This means we can envisage more and more people coming into Lagos needing housing.” With more than an estimated ...
Strengthening service delivery processes in Kampala (00:34:45)
"How can the interest and the commitment of those in charge of this city be galvanised, so that they see service delivery as important as an end in itself? For me, we need first to mobilise citizens."...
Urban reform coalitions: Kampala with Shuaib Lwasa (00:36:59)
ACRC defines inclusive urban reform coalitions as partnerships between government, experts and civil society organisations – often directly involving communities and groups most directly affected by t...
Urban reform coalitions: Freetown with Joseph Macarthy (00:51:24)
ACRC defines inclusive urban reform coalitions as partnerships between government, experts and civil society organisations – often directly involving communities and groups most directly affected by t...
Urban politics and power in Mogadishu (00:37:34)
As the capital and the seat of the Somali government, Mogadishu has undergone a slow process of urban recovery over the course of the past decade. The city is experiencing rapid urbanisation, growing ...
Urban reform coalitions: Harare with George Masimba (01:00:00)
ACRC defines inclusive urban reform coalitions as partnerships between government, experts and civil society organisations – often directly involving communities and groups most directly affected by t...
Inclusive urban reform coalitions with Diana Mitlin (00:47:33)
"We really see these reform coalitions as very key. They're key to nurturing new ideas, they're key to articulating ideas that perhaps are working elsewhere and making sure they're understood within t...
Household microenterprises with Selina Pasirayi and Rollins Chitika (00:35:07)
“This is kind of a hub, if you will, that's bringing in goods and services to the wider group of people in the informal settlements. And you can think about anything that you need in your life, in you...
Safety and security in Nairobi with Wangui Kimari (00:24:26)
"Beyond patrolling, beyond the police, beyond anti-terror police activities which come from a global war on terror, what are people doing every day and what have they been doing every day to keep them...
Community-led planning and transformation with Charity Mumbi and Jane Wairutu (00:28:29)
"It's not our data as SDI, it's not ACRC data, it's not their data. It's the community's data. So you have to have that understanding that, at the end of the day, it has to benefit the community." In...
Migration, politics and urban governance in Lagos (00:42:17)
"Lagos is a city of migrants… migrants are shaping the city in ways that are evolving per day. We are where we are now as a city through the action of migrants. And, more recently, we find that the ac...
Africa's urbanisation dynamics with Philipp Heinrigs (00:41:51)
What opportunities does urbanisation present for people living in African cities? How much does it really contribute to the economy? And what wider advantages can it have for rural dwellers? In our l...
Community-led research with Eva Muchiri and Nicera Wanjiru (00:47:45)
"A project comes, a project leaves. The community will always remain. But now, what do you leave in that community?" In this episode, Miriam Maina talks to Eva Muchiri and Nicera Wanjiru from Muungan...
