MANAGEMENT THROUGH DECENTRALISATION AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A CONDITION FOR SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION IN AFRICA

摘要

This paper is based on the premise that, urbanisation could be effective only if decentralisation policy is at the centre of development initiatives. In this way the paper argues, local authorities could utilize local resources to ignite local economic development (LED) through for instance trade activities and investments.LED initiatives aim at empowering local stakeholders to utilise business enterprises, labour, capital and other local resources effectively to maximise local benefits in order to contribute to poverty reduction and the uplifting of citizens life conditions. The paper is divided into four major parts. The first part gives a background of the notion of decentralisation, urbanisation and local economic development. The second part provides an overview of the review of the related literature while the third part gives an account on how the above are inter-related. The fourth part provides the challenges faced by urbanisation in achieving local economic development and part five is presented as conclusion and recommendations.