More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. The world’s urban population will have more than doubled to 11 billion by 2050. Fast-urbanizing cities need to plan for the projected growth and ensure the provision of sufficient basic infrastructure and affordable housing. For an evolving city like Sokoto in Sokoto State, Nigeria, an Industrial city equipped with cutting-edge technology and equipment becomes a conduit for innovative urbanization and can contribute to sustainable socio-economic development if managed well, especially for present-day Northern Nigeria.

The African Contemporary Institute of Design and RUBAN Office collaborated with the Sujimoto Group to create this industrial city. It will be built on a 1200-hectare plot of land in the heart of Sokoto. To ensure maximum sustainability and resilience are obtained, the city will be categorized into four zones – Industrial, Residences, Lifestyle and Membrane with key amenities ranging from energy-efficient mobility systems to security infrastructure and internet fibre connection.

This project is, therefore, a strategy to test and inject transformative change within urban, peri-urban and rural areas by causing government organizations, professionals and relevant public-private partners to think differently, perhaps laterally or multidimensionally.