Traffic congestion costs African economies an estimated $314 billion annually, according to a report by the French multinational Alstom. This figure is equivalent to four times Côte d’Ivoire’s Gross Domestic Product or nearly half that of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). While African cities have not yet reached the scale of American or European megacities, they are not immune to the economic and health consequences of escalating urban congestion. Chronic delays, increased logistics expenses, pollution, and stress mean traffic jams are becoming a significant impediment to productivity and quality of life. This systemic handicap, despite public policies launched in recent years, has an impact that remains largely underestimated. Here is a closer look at this urban affliction with its invisible yet very real effects.

It is 6:30 a.m. in Abidjan. A dusty haze still hangs over the city, and the sun has yet to break through, but car horns already pierce the silence. At the Lubafrique junction, 32-year-old Awa watches for a gbaka, a minibus that is her only option to reach the Adjamé market where she sells vegetables.

"If I miss this one, I could lose half the day," she says, slipping into a vehicle already packed to capacity. Around her, traffic is bogged down in a chaotic swirl. For Awa, the narrow slip road leading to the highway is largely to blame for the morning chaos. "It is too small for all these people. It gets jammed every day," she adds, resigned.

Like Awa, thousands of Abidjan residents face this same chaotic routine each morning, trapped in an overloaded transport system. Journalist Enoc Kakou struggles to find a taxi to Port-Bouët and ends up paying a high fare, risking being late. "The traffic jams over this distance are constant. Taxi drivers prefer three short trips at 1,000 CFA each rather than spending two hours on one long ride," he explains. Theoretically, 25 minutes should suffice, but it takes him nearly an hour, to the frustration of the driver. Behind the wheel, Yao Kouassi is impatient. "When I get stuck for an hour on a ride that should take 25 minutes, I lose three rides. That is money flying out the window," he says.

Visible and Invisible Effects of Congestion

Abidjan, like many other African cities, has become a daily stage for physical and mental strain, where every journey is a challenge. According to a 2019 World Bank note titled The challenge of urban mobility in Abidjan, "the poorest, who continue to rely on public transportation, spend between 20% and 30% of their income on transport, and average 200 minutes a day commuting and waiting." The World Bank estimates that Abidjan’s mobility issues cost Côte d’Ivoire up to 4 to 5 percent of its national income.

The phenomenon is not unique to Abidjan. In Lagos, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest cities, road congestion poses a major obstacle to development. A study by the Danne Institute for Research, in partnership with Financial Derivatives Company, found that residents lose an average of 2.21 hours daily in traffic on their way to work. This lost time directly affects productivity, mental health, and general well-being.

For individuals, the costs are significant. Public transport users spend about 79,000 naira ($49.90) annually in delays-related expenses, while drivers waste an average of 133,979 naira ($89.10) in fuel stuck in traffic. Though modest at first glance, these sums weigh heavily in contexts marked by deep inequality and widespread precariousness.

Businesses are not spared. When work hours lost are multiplied by hourly wages in micro, small, and medium enterprises, the result is substantial economic loss. The total cost of road congestion to Lagos’ economy is estimated at nearly 3.834 trillion naira per year, or around $8.7 billion. This deficit reflects the structural limits of an undersized transport network in a city that hosts more than half of Nigeria’s non-oil industrial capacity.

A Rising Health Bill

Each rush hour releases significant amounts of fine particles and harmful gases into the air. A study by Professor Véronique Yoboué of the University of Cocody showed that NO₂ levels exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) limits at all three sites tested. "We are often above WHO standards for nitrogen dioxide, for example," she stated.

Dr. Stéphane Aboussou, a general practitioner, raises the alarm. "Traffic jams have three major health impacts. First, psychologically, the constant stress can lead to hypertension and weaken the immune system. Second, cardio-pulmonary, air pollution, rich in carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, triggers asthma, chronic bronchitis, and heart disease. Third, musculoskeletal, sitting for too long without movement causes back pain, particularly lower back pain."

Abidjan is not alone in this regard. In Dakar, air pollutants are seven times higher than recommended levels, with traffic fumes a major contributor. In Lagos, researchers have shown that prolonged congestion also affects mental health. Sleep disorders, generalized anxiety, chronic fatigue, and high blood pressure are now part of daily life for many commuters, especially those without alternatives.

Complex Structural Causes

Traffic jams result from multiple factors. Experts often point to the lack of coherent planning in African cities, leading to deep imbalances between residential areas and transport infrastructure.

"Unplanned urbanization is at the heart of the problem," explains Koffi Kouamé Elvis, a PhD in geography specializing in urban mobility. "Neighborhoods grow faster than infrastructure, often outside any planning framework. Residential areas move farther from economic centers, but roads, public transport, and services do not keep up. With rapid population growth, this urban sprawl intensifies daily traffic, and infrastructure, often limited or poorly maintained, gets quickly saturated. The result is massive, costly congestion."

The African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that $130 to $170 billion annually is needed to meet urban infrastructure needs across Africa, including roads, water, electricity, housing, and waste management, due to rampant urbanization. National figures are scarce, but development plans offer some guidance. In Abidjan, needs are especially high in affordable housing, roads, drainage, and public transit. For instance, the Abidjan metro alone is a $1.5 billion project.

"We need to rethink the city as a whole. We must densify activity zones to reduce travel, invest massively in efficient, accessible public transit, and apply a real urban mobility policy," adds Kouamé Elvis. "The goal is to bring people closer to their workplaces while diversifying transport modes, such as rapid buses, urban trains, and bike lanes. A well-designed city flows better."

Reimagining urban mobility also requires fundamental reform in territorial organization. In many African capitals, most economic, administrative, and political activity is concentrated, putting constant pressure on already overloaded infrastructure.

"We need to move away from the capital-centric model," says Franc Maruis Kouakou, a commuter. "As long as all opportunities are concentrated in Abidjan, Dakar, or Kinshasa, commuter flows will remain massive. By developing well-equipped, attractive secondary hubs, we can ease city center congestion and offer viable alternatives. If well implemented, decentralization is a solution to traffic jams."

Easing Traffic, a Vital Challenge for African Cities

According to rail manufacturer Alstom, urban congestion costs Africa around $314 billion a year. Without transport system reform by 2030, that loss could reach $488 billion.

For African cities, road congestion is no longer merely a daily nuisance; it is an economic emergency. In 2025, Côte d’Ivoire plans to invest $1.6 billion in transport and road infrastructure. This is a substantial effort, but still less than the annual economic cost of urban congestion.

Meanwhile, the continent continues to import vast numbers of vehicles each year. Between 2015 and 2018, Africa imported 40 percent of the world’s used vehicles, totaling 5.6 million cars, mainly from Europe, the U.S., and Japan.

By contrast, public transport systems remain underdeveloped and ill-equipped to absorb rapid population growth in major cities. According to a 2019 JICA report on Kinshasa’s urban transport master plan, the city had only 499 buses in 2018 for a population of 10.6 million, a ratio of about one bus per 21,000 people.

Inspiring Examples

Some governments are attempting to address the issue. In Côte d’Ivoire, the state banned the import of vehicles over five years old in 2018, created the Greater Abidjan Urban Mobility Authority (AMUGA), and adopted a new traffic plan. A flagship project is the urban metro, expected to carry up to 500,000 passengers a day by 2030, with a total cost estimated at €1 billion. The government also aims for 10 percent of state-owned vehicles to be electric by 2030 and hopes to foster a supportive ecosystem for private adoption.

Abidjan has also added key infrastructure, including a fourth bridge, a city beltway, and widened major roads. However, these upgrades cannot keep pace with population growth, estimated at 32.6 million in 2025 with an annual growth rate of 2.42 percent, or the car fleet, now exceeding 1.2 million vehicles, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Other African capitals are pursuing bolder solutions. Dakar has launched a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to ease traffic and cut commute times. According to the World Bank, this is crucial for one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities, where transport must keep pace with rapid urbanization. The BRT, with its dedicated lanes, fixed stops, and predictable schedules, will serve 320,000 daily passengers, offering a safer and more comfortable journey.

The World Bank expects the project to reduce 1.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over 30 years, equivalent to removing 260,000 cars from the road. It should also significantly improve access to essential services and job opportunities, particularly for women and low-income groups. Once fully operational, the BRT will make 170,000 new jobs accessible, and 59 percent of job opportunities in the capital reachable within an hour.

Kigali is investing in electric vehicles to improve air quality and cut emissions. Authorities are promoting electric mobility, which emits no volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, or nitrogen oxides. The Rwandan capital also organizes biweekly Car-Free Days, an initiative launched in 2016.

Across the continent, startups are leveraging digital tools to modernize urban mobility. They offer applications that help users plan routes, locate nearby vehicles in real time, and cut travel time by 15 to 30 minutes. With GPS technology, these services guide users along less congested routes, reducing dependence on overcrowded roads.

Still, challenges remain, particularly regarding affordability for lower-income users and digital literacy among those less familiar with such tools.

Some African cities are demonstrating that change is possible. In Addis Ababa, the light rail system has doubled travel speed, saved fuel and time, and created over 1,000 direct jobs. In Kigali, strict road discipline has reduced accidents, lowering healthcare and productivity costs. In Casablanca, the tram system saves nearly $5.9 million annually in travel time and transport expenses.

If effective, these approaches could inspire many other cities facing the same challenge. Urban mobility is now central to development strategies because without efficient transport, there can be no inclusive growth and no sustainable cities.

Ingrid Haffiny