Every two years, the regional conference State of the Map Africa takes place, connecting OpenStreetMap communities from the continent. It emphasizes the importance of open-access data, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the impact of these technologies on sustainable development across Africa. The conference serves as a platform for connecting international and regional data experts with local mappers and government representatives. Starting in Uganda in 2017, State of the Map has also been held in Ivory Coast, Kenya, and in 2023, Cameroon.
The theme of this last conference in Yaoundé, taking part from November 30th to December 2nd, 2023, was “Open mapping as a support tool for local development”. With 92 speakers, 95 sessions, 33 represented countries and 150 onsite participants as well as online participants, the event continued to build on the vision for sustainable development in Africa. The 2023 conference showed the strength of international collaboration for advancing geospatial data in Africa to create a strong, growing network of open data. As a platinum sponsor, TUMI aligned its efforts with the goals of the conference and actively participated in fostering cooperation, sharing insights, and contributing to discussions on sustainable urban mobility.
TUMI at State of the Map
Together with TUMI partner WRI Africa, we supported the conference with our initiatives DigitalTransport4Africa Initiative and TUMI Data. We organized two sessions during the conference: The panel called “Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Mobility Data in Africa”, organized with WRI Africa, focused on data for sustainable mobility planning and implementation in Africa. And in our workshop session, we previewed the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in October 2024 with counterparts from the MoVe Yaoundé project and launched the Yaoundé Data Hub.
Read on to learn more about our presence at the conference and our take-aways!
Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Mobility in Africa
Together with WRI Africa, we took a closer look at sustainable mobility planning and implementation in Africa during this session. Considering that the focus on consistently updated maps in Africa was a key aspect of the conference, we discussed how to support planners in making informed decisions with the help of mobility data through mapping and innovation. TUMI extended invitations to key counterparts from the MoVe Yaoundé project, including Vincent Flament (European Union Delegation), Amadou Ngounga Mouchili (MINHDU), Patrick Mfoulou (CUY) and Arnaud Ndzana (CUY). Key experts who had won the DT4A Innovation Challenge shared their experiences and perspectives:
- Alazar Tekle, GIS Technician & D. Manager, AddisMap
- Karamoko Camara, Founder and CEO, Ewarren
- Rudi Kriel, Transport Economist, GoMetro
- Mohammed Hussen, Transport Planner, Addis Ababa Transport Bureau (AATB)
- Sylviane Fofana Semignon, Head of the Department of Mobility Observatory, AMUGA
TUMI emphasized the importance of unlocking mobility data, especially in urban contexts in Africa where urban planners have many decisions to make and OpenStreetMaps are particularly important as data sources for planning sustainable mobility. We also introduced the TUMI Mobility Data Hub. This centralized platform for mobility-related data wants to inform decision-making in urban mobility. In addition, we launched the Yaoundé Mobility Data Hub together with our partners. WRI Africa presented the DigitalTransport4Africa data community, financed by AFD and implemented by WRI. This community promotes digital technologies for sustainable urban mobility projects through open data and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
The session concluded with a panel discussion focusing on policy and regulatory frameworks for open data, and ideas for building local expertise, for example through the cultivation of digital literacy. Participants agreed on the significance of community mapping and leveraging local knowledge, particularly when it comes to driving positive change in Africa’s urban transportation systems. The final question continues to spark ideas: Where can we leverage data for this project?
Preview of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in 2024
The Hamburg Sustainability Conference in October 2024 aims to bring together global business leaders, financial institutions, and civil society to foster partnerships and alliances for actionable solutions. The idea is to establish a new, public-private global platform to speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, including a dedicated workstream on mobility.
This woshop session offered a preview of the event, as well as the opportunity to collect important perspectives from the African continent to bring to the event in Hamburg. TUMI wants to contribute to discussions on sustainable urban mobility and the potential of open data sharing at the 2024 conference. Key mobility players in Yaoundé, the Yaoundé Urban Community (CUY) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MINHDU), discussed three main questions with the objective of gathering their insights on challenges and solutions in the sustainable urban mobility sector.
First, we talked about what the most urgent problem to solve is. In Cameroon, there are three main challenges to sustainable urban mobility:
- Improving sustainable urban mobility to foster economic, social, and environmental development.
- Addressing the lack of infrastructure, including poor road conditions and non-existent roads hindering progress.
- Managing the impact of paratransit, considering issues such as noise and air pollution, accidents, and traffic congestion.
Opportunities in Cameroon include the potential for developing transport infrastructure, promising political will by local and national authorities, and the involvement of civil societies. However, a lack of funding, coordination and technical capacity, regulations for emissions, and a resistance to changing mobility behavior are significant obstacles. Therefore, the country needs to find innovative, participatory and concrete actions that are adapted to the local context and the needs of different groups of the population.
Next, levers for solutions were discussed. Here, urban mobility plans like Yaoundé’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) are key. The two major cities of the country, Yaoundé and Douala, have both had a SUMP since 2019 with major projects such as the development of mass public transport planned for the medium term. They are also planning improvements to road infrastructure and measures against air pollution. Cameroon’s national urban mobility policy, developed with the technical and financial support of Mobilise Your City, also includes many opportunities. However, significant gaps in financing remain.
Lastly, participants debated how to achieve the desired impacts. Important players such as ministries, cities, the private sector, and service operators need to work closer together in order to make sustainable urban mobility a reality. By enforcing and improving policies, allocating resources, and working together, politicians can lay the groundwork. Local governments are essential for turning plans into action and should focus on urban planning, the use of public space, and better infrastructure. Private companies can invest in and support new ideas for sustainable transport, while operators must aim at being a positive force in the communities they serve.
Conclusion: An ongoing dialogue
The State of the Map conference 2023 in Yaoundé marked another milestone in the journey towards sustainable development in Africa, with a specific focus on urban mobility. TUMI’s participation, sponsorship, and sessions contributed significantly to the ongoing dialogue. As we look forward to the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in 2024, the exchange of ideas and experiences from Africa promises to play a pivotal role in shaping global strategies for sustainable urban mobility and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.