The Sahel is experiencing rapid anddisorderly urbanization. The capital cities of Bamako,Conakry, and Niamey dominate the urban landscape in theirrespective countries. In each of these three countries, theeconomic importance of the capital city is enormous. Forinstance, Bamako represents about 34 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP), whereas Conakry and Niamey eachrepresent about 27 percent of GDP in their respectivecountries. Furthermore, as their populations are increasingat a faster rate than anywhere else in the world, theattendant youth bulge could turn into either a demographicdividend, whereby cities take advantage of a temporary boomin the working age population to productively employ youngpeople, or a demographic disaster, accompanied by urbaninstability if cities do not meet these aspirations.
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