West Africa's coastal boom: glitzy cities grow fast, but many are left behind

By Emmanuel Akinwotu

Published January 23, 2026 at 4:53 PM EST

In the last installment of our correspondent's journey along West Africa's rapidly expanding urban coast, we arrive in Abidjan, Ivory Coast — at the heart of a region where promise and strain collide.

Emmanuel Akinwotu

Emmanuel Akinwotu is an international correspondent for NPR. He joined NPR in 2022 from The Guardian, where he was West Africa correspondent.

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

The Commonwealth

Federal judge freezes bank assets of Kentucky-based Addiction Recovery Care

Joe Sonka

A federal judge in New York ordered a freeze to most bank assets remaining of Addiction Recovery Care, the Kentucky provider currently under an FBI investigation for potential Medicaid fraud.
NPR News

Minnesotans turn out in the frigid cold to protest Trump's immigration crackdown

Meg Anderson, Jasmine Garsd, Sarah Ventre

Minnesota residents took to the streets of downtown Minneapolis to protest the federal government's immigration campaign in the state, after weeks of sustained resistance in their communities. Businesses across the region closed in solidarity.
Groups worry that limiting paths to citizenship may reduce voter registration efforts

Ximena Bustillo

Each month, thousands of people across the country become U.S. citizens, and that new title comes with a new responsibility: the right to vote.
Images show thousands of newly-identified asteroids. And there's more to come

Kai McNamee, Patrick Jarenwattananon, Ailsa Chang

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks to astronomer Sarah Greenstreet about her team's new discovery of the fastest-spinning large asteroid known to man.
The Eagles break new sales record with their 1976 greatest hits collection

Lauren Hodges, Jonaki Mehta, Christopher Intagliata

The band's 1976 greatest hits collection just became the first album ever to earn 4x Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, or 40 million units sold.