Leaving no one behind: Urban poverty traps in sub-Saharan Africa

While urban population growth is seen as a major factor in reducing overall poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, new challenges have emerged like the urbanization of poverty. However, little is known about the state and persistence of poverty in urban areas. The speaker will present a study that investigates urban poverty within the theory of poverty traps analyzing consumption paths among urban households in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, three countries in sub-Saharan Africa with large urban populations and fast urban population growth. The presentation will cover the methodology employed, the results achieved, and a discussion of its policy implications.

SPEAKER:

Teresa Janz is a PhD Fellow at UNU-MERIT. Prior to joining the PhD program, Teresa worked for the  Social Protection and Policy department at UNICEF Jordan, where she contributed to a cash transfer program as well as various research studies and reports. Her main research interests include social protection and poverty. In her PhD she is studying urban poverty traps, and the link between social protection programs and poverty traps in urban areas. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and human development with specialization in Social Protection Policy from UNU-MERIT.

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