Economic factors in urban growth in Africa : the role of industrialization

(1)

Distr.

RESTRICTED

S:8M/UR:B/AF/5/Add.1 12 April 1962 Original. BNGLISH

~IORKSHOP ON URBANIZATION IN AFRICA

Organized by tho Eoonomio Commission for Afrioa in oo-oporation with tho United Nations Department of Eoonomio and Sooial Affairs, the International

Labour Organization, the Unitod Nations :8duoational, Soiontifio and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization.

1

Addis Ababa, 25 April 5 May 1962

\

Eoonomio Faotors in Urban Growth in Afrioa tho Role of Industrialization

Comment on tho Work Programme of tho Eoonomio CommiSsion for Afrioa Division for Industry, Transport and Natural Resouroes

(Prepared by

the Seoretariat of the ~oonomio Commission for Afrioa)

62-1121

(2)

Comment on tho Work Programmo of the Eoonomio Commission for Afrioa Division for Industry, Transport and Natural Roaour-cce ,

One of the oonolusiOns whioh may' be drawn from tho stuily prepared by the Industrial Division at' Hoad'l.uarters on eoonomio faotors and '1rban growth 'in Afrioa is that' a long-term solution to the problems orcatod

.y

_urb~isa

'tion is,'~ntor alia, industrialization. The paper draws attention to a number of areas in the field of industrialization where further invosti-

Some of tho topios suggested'for further

study

aro part of tho currant work programme of the ECA Division for Indu~tJ'.'y, Transport and Naturai

;0-

sources. Therofore,' it so ems appropria.to that, as an annex to the Hoad- 'l.uarteJ7s liItudy, aoomment should ,be made on the'rclevantaspeots of tho work programme of )!lCA.

11

Eoonomfc growth and industrialdev<llOpmertt :tesult in' a oontinuous 'decline of the importanoe of agriculture relatively to ethor sources of em-

. . . , . ' ' . , " - ':~:. T .

Honce industry recruits labour frOm tho agriCultural soct6r. This in turn may lead te excessive urbaniz'ationunless a programme of fndustrial planning is initiated during the early stag~of i~dustrialization^{and stops} taken te, Lnf'Luonco tho looation of industries so as, to aVO,id ovoroonoontra- tion in a fow .uz-ban areas,

Under projeot 11-01 (Industrial Surveys and Industrial Planning) and 11-02 (Studies of Individual Industries and Grcupsof Industrios) of tho ECA work programme, studies will be made of how industrial planning may bo usedtodisportlo'industrios and also of what instruments of policy are tho most effoctivofo~ influoncing lOcation of industrios.

- - - - -

1/

The work programme of ECA in the field of Industrialization is attached.

(3)

3m·V

UBB/ AF/ 5/ Add. 1 page 2

- ':C'

~~ main p~oQ1am of indust~ial planne~s,in developing ceunt~ies secms to be whethe~ t~ oncou~age th~ establishmont of faeto~ios in a few l~ge

towns o~ whethe~ to plan fo~ tho dispo~sion of new facto~ios as widoly as possible, byvroating now towns o~ by ostablis4ing some of the new indust~ios in.~ural;.areas.. It lIlay be naccaeary to establish now factories in ci tios whioh may. bo already ovencr-ovded in o~der to cope with urban unemployment,

on t!),e 9ther hand _tho~e a.J:o some _e~onomios (economies of scale} in conoen- trating factories together.

The object of our studies and r-caeaz-ch under items 11-01 and 11'::02 will be, inter alia,. to find out lihethor it is possible to disperse ·African indust-

'.J ,:.. .•

ries without dO~riving,theindustrialists of economies of soale and without

wo~sening,thC:: p~oblem of omploymO!\t. in existing urban areas.

One solution seems to bo to build up a small number of well integrated

cont~es, and when tho SO are established to st~ othd~ centres 1n the same way. In.!l,us"l;.rial Estates, _(P~oject 11-10(0) in 1;1:10 Work Programmo) =0 ono of the measu~os whioh may be adopted for st~t41g new industrial cent~es. Some

Af~iBan countries, for example Nigeria, have already established industrial estatos; tho cxper-Lenco of ,such .countries and also .cr overseas countries' will be POrtinent in this fiold.

,. Ina-ddi tion to ·the goheral·'p~obloms'ef industrial planning the lfork

P~ogramme includes _p~ojocts on studies of choice' of technology suitable to conditions which require labour - intensivo or capital - intensivo indust-

~ios (Part of _p~ojeot 11-02, studies of. specific indust~ios; and part of

p~oject 11-10, feas;i.bili ty studios of _indust~ies and investment).

From tho standpoint .of ur-barri.zat.Lon tho, main technological pr-ob.l.em sooms to be to investigate which ~in~s ofindust~ial plants can bo estab- lishod a}/ay f'r om Lndustr-Laf conccnt.ra'te s without muc: loss, and to find

•

(4)

•

S~'MjuRB/AF/5/Add.l page 3

out what types of maohinery oan be used effioiently in Afrioan e~~i-rural

or rural areas for prooessing agrioultural raw materials and for raising agricul tural produotivi ty. Inorease in agrioultural produotivi ty is ,of importance beoause inoome per hoad in agrioultu~e is normally lower than that in manufaoturing industry, theroforo people tend to mov'efrom agriculture to industrial oentres in searoh of jobs or caaua'l, labour.'

Studies of techno10gioal problems will be supplemonted by studies of unompJ.oyment in towns, undor-employment in rural aroas ,and rural urban mig-

ratio~and by discussing with the governments appropriate measures, in the light of our rese,~ohes, of dealing with the employment 'problems (Part of Projeotll-03, organization of seminars on selootc.d top:L'ls and problems, and provision of advisory servioes to governments on problems" of industrialization). 9;b.e, reoently established Standing Oommi ttee on NatuI'a,l Resouroos and Industry will serve a very usefUl purposo in this exohange of .ideas and information•_.

~:')

,Fina:ly, provision has boen mado in our work programme for fUrther studio!! in the ,field of sooial overheads and infrastruoture. (Projeots 12-01 studies or'the

1'610

of transport in promoting economic development; and

,ii

33-01, studies ef low-cost housing.)

t.

• I

(5)

r

•

sm~/URB/AF/5/Add.l page 4

Relevant Extracts

of ECA Programme and Prioritios for 1962-63 (~/CN.14/162)

...

11. Industry

•

11-01

11-02

11-03

Group 1. Continuing projects and activities of high priority Industrial Surveys and Industrial Planning

Description:

General surveys of the industrial situation in Afrioan countries with special reforence, wherever appropri~te,

to sub-regional co-operation. Studies of promotion ~t

trade, both intra-African and between Africa and other _, continents, in industrial goods. Examination of problems of sector programming and industrial planning. 'Build up 0$ an inventory of Afrioan industries inoluding energy.

Stud.y of Individual Industries and Groups of IndustriEls Description:

Studies of existing industries, of the prospeots of developing them and improving their efficienoYJ and of prospeots of setting uP new industries inoluding,. where appropriate, comparative ccst studies. The sectors of industry including energy to be studied, and the relative priori ties remain to be. determined in consultatinn with governments. It is expected, however, that tho studios will be carried oub or started in the next two YeaJ:>s,on

~electe£7 industrios, on a regional, sub-rogional or country basis as appropriate •••••••••••••

Operational Activities and Advisory Services to Governments Description:

(a) Organization of seminars and working parties on selocted topics and problems in consultation with African governments &ld other appropriate bodies.

(b) Provision of advisory services to governments on problems of industrialization, the development of existing industries and the establishment of new industries.

(6)

"

SJI~/URB/

U/5/

Add.l page 5

Relevant Extracts (oontinuod)

II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II

12. Transport

Group 1 Continuing Projoots and Aotivitios of High Priority 12-01 Desoription ^I

(a) Studies of transport problems in Afrioa, with emphasis on tho role of the transport industry in promoting ooonomio developmont, particularly with rogard to the general ^{00 -}

ordinatio~ of tho various transport tochniques.

(b) Basic study of tho relative economics of road, rail, water and air transport in the economic development of African countries.

(c) Provision of advisory services to Governmonts at their request.

II II II II II II II II II II II II II II II

33-01 Studies on low-cost housing and oommunity facilities within oommunity development programmes in Africa.

Desoription :

Studies of problems of planning and replanning of Villages and small co~nunities, inclUding self-holp housing programmes and the reviow of exporienoe in bUilding schools, markets, co-oporativo stores, community oentres and other oommunity faoilities.

II II II II .. II II II II II II II II II II