Evolution of New Coastal Urban Lifestyles in West Africa: Implications for Planning Sustainable African Cities

Abstract

UN Habitat reports that though Africa is still the least urbanised continent of the world, it however, has the fastest rate of urbanisation. Two third of this population reside in small and intermediate coastal centres with 60% in cities of less than 500,000 inhabitants. The major trend in Africa like other places in the world shows that a larger portion of these urban areas are located in the coastal zones. In West Africa the rate of this growth is higher than the continent’s average. Urbanisation in West Africa is poverty driven with very low socio-economic transformation; this has led to the evolution of different lifestyles among the people even in rich countries like Nigeria. This rapid urban growth has led to the drowning so to say of the original inhabitants of those areas. In the area, the current thematic coastal issues of climate change and sea level rise have captured researchers interest with little focus on lifestyles of the inhabitants of these cities. The study therefore aimed at examining the possible evolution of new lifestyles over time resulting from the urban expansion and the wider implications of these especially for the socially excluded- fisher folks, wetland farmers, indigenous people, women and the youth of West Africa in these urban centres. The study relied mostly on data from Nigeria where a case study was taken. Five coastal cities were sampled and studied. These were purposively selected based on their history of rapid urbanisation in recent years and the fact that they have some incredible, outstanding and natural beautiful beaches, and extensive coastal wetlands and mangrove forest. The study covered traditional coastal cities with population of 20,000 and above. On the whole one thousand four hundred thirty six respondents were studied. The result presented similar situations in all cities though some were more pronounced in cities of Calabar, Bonny, Illaje and tended to show poor or lack of physical planning as a major indices leading to the evolution of such lifestyles. The study made strong predictions as well as suggest planning framework to improve and integrate the lives of all population groups in West African cities.

Keywords: coastal zone, urbanisation, lifestyle, sustainable city, West Africa, physical planning