COVID-19 Pandemic and Informal Urban Governance in Africa: A Political Economy Perspective

Abstract

The outbreak and spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is probably the most serious global challenge since World War II. While research has paid considerable attention to the technical, epidemiological and public health aspects of the pandemic in Africa, it neglects the social, economic and political dimensions. Relying on analysis of data on trends of COVID-19 infections from the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and a rapid review of available international and national policy/programme documents on COVID-19 control responses in Africa, this study assessed the extant protocols and responses to COVID-19 in relation to urban governance principles. Utilizing the political economy framework, the social conditions of informal labour and business activities during the COVID-19 pandemic are explored with accession to social habitus of informality. The paper argues that in as much as the COVID-19 pandemic is a pervasive health problem it should be treated more as a social and political economy challenge given the large informal nature of urbanism in Africa. The study concludes that urban governance that incorporates collective organization, community groups, non-state and informal actors offers scope in the battle against COVID-19 in Africa. Rethinking African urbanism in line with the principles of the Global Campaign on Urban Governance is also canvassed.

COVID-19 response in Africa: impacts and lessons for environmental management and climate change adaptation

“…Given the complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with it requires a horizontal approach that calls for collaborations from different disciplines and sectors (Onyishi et al, 2021 ). For instance, despite being the responsibility of the health sector to tackle the virus, the transport sector in Kenya, in collaboration with banks and the country’s leading Telecommunication Company, embraced cashless payment of bus fares to reduce the spread of the virus ( https://www.nfcw.com/2021/01/11/369981/kenya-to-combine-cashless-payments-with-covid-contact-tracing-on-matatu-minibuses/ ).…”

“…This illustrates how transport, banking, and telecommunications companies worked together to manage COVID-19 in Kenya (WHO Africa, 2021 ). In agreement, the Global Center on Adaptation and African Adaptation Initiative ( 2020 ) and Onyishi et al ( 2021 ) root for the involvement of multiple stakeholders, highlighting banks that mobilize resources and prepare and operationalize knowledge acceleration programs. This should be replicated in climate change adaptation efforts.…”

Beyond the Rhetoric of Educational Policy in Nigeria: Understanding the State Actors Neglect on Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The fear of being affected led to measures towards containing it. Such measures include border closures, physical distancing, avoidance of crowds, avoidance of handshake, and ban on inter-state movement among others (Onyishi et' al, 2020;Okoye, et al, Forthcoming). The reasons for saying "YES" to government neglect on education during the lockdown n (%) a) Poor planning in the Nigerian educational policy creates more problems in its implementation While these were going on, parents, teachers and students in the secondary schools expected proactive measures, 458/600 (76%) from the government to institute an online platform that can sustain proper teaching and learning of these students.…”

Reversing the catastrophe of neoliberal-led global capitalism in the time of coronavirus: Towards a democratic socialist alternative

“…In this situation, the poor and the dispossessed confront an increasingly precarious double effect. Both as breakdown of their precarious employment based material existence, because living in vulnerable material circumstances without adequate public health, and perhaps already having compromised physical constitutions, these groups become simultaneously exposed and vulnerable to the virus while lacking the means to combat it (Foster & Suwandi 2020: 12; Onyishi et al 2020).…”