Business

The Russia – Ukraine Conflict and its Impact on the Infrastructure and Built Environment Industry in Africa 

mai 17, 2022

NAIROBI, Kenya, 17 May, 2022 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/-Introduction Russia launched a full assault on Ukraine, its southwest neighbour, on February 24, 2022, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Both countries are major producers of crucial energy and industrial commodities such as oil, gas, aluminium, palladium, and nickel. They also produce food-related commodities such as wheat and corn; the war will have a consequent ripple effect on the global markets and supply chain, especially in Africa. The imminent food crisis resulting from the war is the topic du jour. However, there are other sectors to consider; one of them is the Built Environment. 
Urbanisation and the state of the Built Environment in Africa
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Africa is one of the world’s least urbanised regions; however, urbanisation is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. The OECD also predicts that Africa’s population will double between now and 2050, with urban areas absorbing two-thirds of this increase. 

The rapid urbanisation in Africa, if well managed, can be the essential motor of economic development, rapidly lifting societies out of mass poverty. Rapid urbanisation, however, should be kept in perspective. Africa faces serious infrastructure gaps, and the inadequate and poor state of existing infrastructure continues to hinder economic growth in the region. 

Within the Built Environment, over 55% of the population on the continent lives in slums. The African Development Bank estimates that the continent’s infrastructure financing needs will be as much as $170 billion a year by 2025, with an estimated gap of around $100 billion a year.