Nigeria's economic heart has at least 21 million inhabitants and is expected to increase by 600,000 people per year by 2050. It would be the sixth largest metropolis in the world according to World Bank projections.

“danfo” in Lagos, “trotro” in Accra, “gbaka” in Abidjan, are colorful mini-buses spewing black smoke from pollution, often in disarray and crowded, alone characterize the ills of African cities that are growing exponentially. Indeed, the sprawling city is marked by profound inequalities between its hyper-wealthy neighborhoods and its Makoko slum, which extends over the lagoon. According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), it holds the record for traffic jams: on average, more than thirty hours spent per week in traffic jams.

A report by Okan Partners, a consulting firm specializing in Africa, in partnership with the Africa CEO Forum pointed out that in these major centers, the continent suffers from” massive urban congestion despite a still low motorization rate, twice as low as in emerging Asia and four times as in Latin America.”

It must be said that the lack of transport and infrastructure penalizes the economies of sprawling cities, leading to significant losses of competitiveness, estimated for example to $1 billion per year for Nairobi. In reality, Africans do not have enough options to travel. Public transport is too expensive and very inadequate and, above all, managed by small private companies. In Latin America, they cover only 5% of daily trips compared to 10 to 20%. In addition, walking is used for 40 to 80% of trips, by the poorest and the many street vendors, but often at the risk of their lives.