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Expert Review: Financing Infrastructure in African Cities

By Prosun • December 21, 2025

Course Overview

This course, provided by Erasmus University Rotterdam, is characterized by its rigor and practical application focus. The curriculum covers essential concepts: The world is urbanizing fast. In less than a century more than 1 billion people have been urbanized. That translates into the fact that more than half of the world’s population is already living in cities. Experts forecast that very soon Africa will become one of the most urbanized continents. However, almost 70% of world’s urban population is living in the cities where governments are struggling to provide basic services like sanitation, schools, hospitals, and adequate clean water. The reason is that, their governments do not have enough money. This may also be true also for the city where you live or work. Poor infrastructure affects your daily life. Local governments struggle with mobilizing finances so that they can improve your quality of life but many times they are not aware of the right mechanisms. Imagine that your government wants to know how can they finance cities and they want you to advise – where will you begin with? Our finance experts are bringing their experience right at your Desk through this MOOC. This MOOC has five modules and in five weeks : • Financial decision making environment in urban systems • Mechanisms for mobilizing local revenues • Innovative mechanisms for financing infrastructure projects through partnerships, and • Financial decision making under uncertainties and risks We will provide you a carefully selected set of literature, quizzes and interactive discussion forums. So our MOOC and find out the ways to make your city a better place to live in for yourself and for your next generations. (This MOOC was developed in collaboration with the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGAfrica), African Local Governments Academy (ALGA), and Erasmus University Rotterdam).