Policy brief. Foster Sustainable Urban Development in Africa’s Secondary Cities by Addressing Energy Access

Despite the critical role of secondary cities in Africa’s urbanization and development, little is known about the multidimensional aspects of poverty in these cities. This brief is based on research on the case of Wa, Ghana, that assessed multidimensional poverty in 775 households.

The study found that Wa’s overall poverty levels were similar to other urban areas of Ghana, but energy access was considerably lower, suggesting that energy access may be a major problem even in secondary cities with low poverty. Furthermore, given that the citizens of Wa are energy poor, the widespread use of charcoal for cooking posed challenges and health risks due to its contribution to indoor pollution. Secondary cities support poverty alleviation by attracting non-farm economic activities and creating regional hubs for services. They require targeted interventions to address disparities in service provision and mitigate the challenges of urban sprawl. This brief recommends the following actions:

• Revise national urban policy to focus on secondary cities.
• Integrate energy access into urban development planning.
• Promote access to clean cooking technology in secondary cities.

Ahmed at al. Foster Sustainable Urban Development in Africa’s Secondary Cities by Addressing Energy Access. Keough School Policy Brief Series. Notre Dame, IN: Keough School of Global Affairs, 2025. https://doi.org/10.7274/28751414