9 African Cities Make Rockefeller’s 100 Resilient Cities Project List

ENUGU
Population: 1.1 million (2011 estimates)

The mild climate and vast opportunities of Enugu, in southeastern Nigeria, have drawn people and investment. Confronted with chronic energy shortages that drive residential and commercial reliance on petroleum-based generators, the city is working to manage population flows and establish cleaner, more reliable energy.

Unreliable power has driven manufacturing away from the city, and new building developments have remained energy intensive, putting greater strain on the system and the environment.

Transportation infrastructure has also presented challenges as Enugu’s insufficient road system struggles to meet the city’s needs and bridges are increasingly exposed to scour and erosion.

In the case of many of these bridges, a single loss could significantly hinder the local economy. Officials have also been working to bring together various stakeholders to address the risk of flooding by responding to drain blockages more effectively, gathering effective damage reports, and planning future building developments in more stable areas.