Urbanization and Informal Settlements in Côte d'Ivoire: Implications for Social Welfare Policies

Urbanization in Côte d'Ivoire has accelerated rapidly over recent decades, leading to significant growth in urban informal settlements. These areas often lack formal infrastructure and social services, posing challenges for local governance and policy-making. The analysis is based on secondary data from government reports, academic literature, and surveys conducted among residents of informal settlements. A qualitative approach was employed to understand the lived experiences and needs of community members. Approximately 70% of urban dwellers in informal settlements do not have access to basic social services such as healthcare and education, which is a critical finding for policy reform. The rapid growth of informal settlements has outpaced the development of formal governance structures, resulting in significant disparities between these areas and more established urban centers. This has implications for equitable social welfare provision across Côte d'Ivoire's cities. To address this disparity, it is recommended that policymakers prioritise the establishment of robust community-based organizations to provide essential services, alongside efforts to formalize informal settlements through planning and infrastructure development.