Urban Economics and Governance

It is obvious that local governments cannot do without central government transfer; however, coupling with internal competition can fix decentralization for Africa’s development. Our recent study in Benin shows that when one local government received funding, its neighbors, were inspired to invest more too. With fair funding and a touch of healthy competition, decentralization can move from promise to power, driving growth, reducing inequality, and facilitating development.

Decentralization improves governance and local participation in development, but it also fuels inefficiency when there is unguided creation of districts. Many decentralized districts in Africa are poor in revenue generation, dependent on central government transfers, and burdened by high administrative costs, leaving little for investment. Compounded by a lack of competition for innovation and leadership in some countries, decentralization risks becoming stagnant rather than

In the Global South, informality (street vending informal housing etc) is often celebrated as a sign of resilience and agency, a creative response to structural exclusion. In contrast, similar forms of informality in the Global North are frequently labeled as disorder or policy failure. Is the Global South inherently disorderly with spation-economic interations? or should it pride in its micro-level resilience and agency?

Floods devastate Accra yearly, yet blame is endlessly recycled among citizens, planners, and politicians. Weak enforcement, chaotic land processes, and public indifference fuel the crisis. Ghana doesn't lack plans—it lacks discipline and coordinated action. From enforcing controls to rethinking drainage, we must move beyond finger-pointing and co-create resilient solutions before the next storm makes excuses our only infrastructure.

Inter-municipal cooperation is key to reducing CO2 emissions in metropolitan areas. Our study of 229 cities across 16 OECD countries shows that when local governments collaborate on transport, environmental outcomes improve. Fragmented or consolidated governance structures alone are not enough. Policy coherence, enforcement, and incentives for cooperation are critical to achieving climate goals at the city-regional scale.