Gabon representative: Contradictory urban reality observed in areas inherited from colonial period

Neighborhoods inherited from the colonial period, often better structured, coexist alongside other peripheral zones deprived of essential infrastructure, Moukala Nguimbi Franck Gordan, doctoral student at Jean Monnet University of Saint-Étienne, said at the event titled “Injustices created by colonial governance and the housing crisis” held within the framework of WUF13 by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), APA reports.

He stated that a contradictory urban reality is observed in his homeland Gabon, as well as in many other African countries: “As someone who grew up in these peripheral areas, speaking about the real inequalities I have witnessed since childhood, I say that unlike historically privileged and better-served zones, access to water or electricity here is extremely difficult.”

The doctoral student also noted that each state has its own realities, resources and challenges. It is precisely for this reason that there is no single solution for everyone: “However, there is a common belief that access to housing, water and electricity are not privileges, but fundamental rights.”