This paper examines the migration of Black people to temperate regions across Africa. The paper finds that there are two major migrations of Black people in the past decade. The first is the migration of people across various countries and regions in Africa. The second migration is the return of Black people from the African diaspora to Africa. Both groups are migrating to the political and economic capitals of Africa. Political and economic capitals across Africa have the characteristics of temperate climates, including high altitude, abundant rainfall, and pleasant weather during most of the year. By December 31, 2023, there were 83.37 million people residing in political capitals in Africa. Apart from their temperate climates, other interrelated factors responsible for the migration of people of Black African descent to political and economic capitals across Africa presented in the paper are as follows: infrastructures such as good roads, schools, colleges and universities, and medical facilities. Finally, the paper presents some opportunities and challenges because of this phenomenon. Some of the opportunities include job creation and establishment of businesses. Some of the challenges discussed in the paper include overcrowding, lack of sufficient and meaningful employment, and the negative effects of global warming.
References
[1]
(2016). Temperate Climate Zone. City Tech OpenLab. City University of New York. https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/davit-eportfolio/files/2016/09/presentation-board-climate.pdf
[2]
(2020). More Africans are Marrying Spouses of Different Ethnicities. The Economist. https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/02/06/more-africans-are-marrying-spouses-of-different-ethnicities
[3]
Abubakar, I. R., & Doan, P. L. (2017). Building New Capital Cities in Africa: Lessons for New Satellite Towns in Developing Countries. African Studies, 76, 546-565. https://doi.org/10.1080/00020184.2017.1376850
[4]
Abusaada, H., & Elshater, A. (2022). Examining Similarity Indicators in Six Planned Capital Cities from Africa and Asia: A Qualitative Research Technique. City, Territory and Architecture, 9, Article No. 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40410-022-00181-2
[5]
Appiah, K. (2023). The Rise of Mega Cities in Africa. Business Day. https://african.business/2023/11/partner-content/the-rise-of-megacities-in-africa
[6]
Arunga, M. T. (2017). Back to Africa in the 21st Century: The Cultural Reconnection Experiences of African American Women. Master’s Thesis, Antioch University.
[7]
Bailey, H. P. (1964). Toward a Unified Concept of the Temperate Climate. Geographical Review, 54, 516-545. https://doi.org/10.2307/212980
[8]
Bandyopadhyay, S., & Green, E. (2021). Explaining Inter-Ethnic Marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of International Development, 33, 627-643. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3535
[9]
Beauchemin, C., & Bocquier, P. (2004). Migration and Urbanisation in Francophone West Africa: An Overview of the Recent Empirical Evidence. Urban Studies, 41, 2245-2272. https://doi.org/10.1080/0042098042000268447
[10]
Bi, M., Wan, L., Zhang, Z., Zhang, X., & Yu, C. (2023). Spatio-Temporal Variation Characteristics of North Africa’s Climate Potential Productivity. Land, 12, Article 1710. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091710
[11]
Bühler, J. L., Shrikhande, S., Kapwata, T., Cissé, G., Liang, Y., Pedder, H. et al. (2023). The Association between Apparent Temperature and Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Disease in Limpopo Province, South Africa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, Article 116. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010116
[12]
Cáceres, A. L., Jaramillo, P., Matthews, H. S., Samaras, C., & Nijssen, B. (2022). Potential Hydropower Contribution to Mitigate Climate Risk and Build Resilience in Africa. Nature Climate Change, 12, 719-727. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01413-6
[13]
Carmel, E., & Miller, J. (2019). Capital City Economies: Lessons for Washing-ton’s Economic Future. Greater Washington Partnership and Kogod School of Business, American University. https://greaterwashingtonpartnership.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/201904_GWP_Capital-City-Economies_Lessons-For-Washingtons-Economic-Future.pdf
[14]
Chigudu, A., & Chavunduka, C. (2021). The Tale of Two Capital Cities: The Effects of Urbanisation and Spatial Planning Heritage in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Urban Forum, 32, 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-020-09410-8
[15]
Chisom, M. (2024a). 10 Wealthiest Cities in Africa with the Most Millionaires in 2024. Business Day. https://businessday.ng/news/article/10-wealthiest-cities-in-africa-with-the-most-millionaires-in-2024/
[16]
Chisom, M. (2024b). Five Most Expensive Cities in Africa for Living Mid-Year 2024. Business Day. https://businessday.ng/news/article/five-most-expensive-cities-in-africa-for-living-mid-year-2024/
[17]
Clarke, J. I. (1971). The Growth of Capital Cities in Africa. Africa Spectrum, 6, 33-40.
[18]
Coleman, C. (2024). Blaxit: Tired of Racism, Black Americans Try Life in Africa. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/realestate/african-americans-africa.html
[19]
Collins, J. M. (2011). Temperature Variability over Africa. Journal of Climate, 24, 3649-3666. https://doi.org/10.1175/2011jcli3753.1
[20]
Dalugoda, Y., Kuppa, J., Phung, H., Rutherford, S., & Phung, D. (2022). Effect of Elevated Ambient Temperature on Maternal, Foetal, and Neonatal Outcomes: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, Article 1771. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031771
[21]
Essa, A. (2018). Why Some African Americans Are Moving to Africa. Aljazeera News. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/1/18/why-some-african-americans-are-moving-to-africa
[22]
Fischer, E. M., Oleson, K. W., & Lawrence, D. M. (2012). Contrasting Urban and Rural Heat Stress Responses to Climate Change. Geophysical Research Letters, 39, L03705. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gl050576
[23]
Gebrechorkos, S. H., Taye, M. T., Birhanu, B., Solomon, D., & Demissie, T. (2023). Future Changes in Climate and Hydroclimate Extremes in East Africa. Earth’s Future, 11, e2022EF003011. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ef003011
[24]
Gerloff, R. (2010). The African Diaspora and the Shaping of Christianity in Africa: Perspectives on Religion, Migration, Identity and Collaboration. Missionalia, 38, 307-320.
[25]
Holsey, B. (2020). West Africa and the African Diaspora. Oxford Research Encyclopedia. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.116
[26]
Hou, H., Estoque, R. C., & Murayama, Y. (2016). Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Growth in Three African Capital Cities: A Grid-Cell-Based Analysis Using Remote Sensing Data. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 123, 381-391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2016.08.014
[27]
Howard, S., & Krishna, G. (2022). How Hot Weather Kills: The Rising Public Health Dangers of Extreme Heat. BMJ, 378, o1741. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o1741
[28]
Human Development Report 2016 (2016). Human Development for Everyone. United Nations Development Report. https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/2016humandevelopmentreport1.pdf
[29]
Kaba, A. J. (2004). Africa-U.S. Partnership in the 21st Century. Chimera, 2, 18-25.
[30]
Kaba, A. J. (2005). Africa, America and UN Security Council Reform: The U.S. Must Lead the Movement to Award the African Union a Permanent Seat on the Security Council. African Renaissance, 2, 39-47.
[31]
Kaba, A. J. (2006a). The Blood and Family Relations between Africans and Europeans in the United States. African Renaissance, 3, 105-114.
[32]
Kaba, A. J. (2006b). Population Increase, Environment, Food Access and Development in Africa: The Role of the African Union. Journal of African Policy Studies, 12, 42-68.
[33]
Kaba, A. J. (2006c). Kenya-U.S. Relations: The Urgent Need to Manage Kenya’s Migrant and HIV-AIDS Brain Drain. Journal of Pan African Studies, 1, 79-86.
[34]
Kaba, A. J. (2007a). The Black World and the Dual Brain Drain: A Focus on African Americans. Journal of African American Studies, 11, 16-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-007-9008-3
[35]
Kaba, A. J. (2007b). The Two West Africas: The Two Historical Phases of the West African Brain Drain. Journal of Pan African Studies, 1, 77-92.
[36]
Kaba, A. J. (2009a). Demographics and Profile: The Most Cited Black Scholars in the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities. Journal of Pan African Studies, 3, 153-207.
[37]
Kaba, A. J. (2009b). Africa’s Development in the Era of Barack Obama: The Role of the African Union. Journal of Pan African Studies, 2, 101-116.
[38]
Kaba, A. J. (2009c). The Numerical Distribution of Muslims in Africa. American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 26, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.35632/ajiss.v26i3.381
[39]
Kaba, A. J. (2010a). Educational Attainment, Population Increase and the Progress of African Americans. Journal of Pan African Studies,3, 106-127.
[40]
Kaba, A. J. (2010b). Michelle Obama and the Black Female Diaspora: The Most Influential Black Woman in History? African Renaissance,7, 41-59.
[41]
Kaba, A. J. (2011a). The Family and Political Unity between Blacks and Jews in the United States. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1, 167-177.
[42]
Kaba, A. J. (2011b). Race, Conquest and Revenge: Why Do Black People Resist Racial Revenge? International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1, 92-106.
[43]
Kaba, A. J. (2011c). Inter-Ethnic/Interracial Romantic Relationships in the United States: Factors Responsible for the Low Rates of Marriages between Blacks and Whites. Sociology Mind, 1, 121-129. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2011.13015
[44]
Kaba, A. J. (2011d). African American Women Voters: Review Article. The Review of Black Political Economy, 38, 183-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12114-011-9092-4
[45]
Kaba, A. J. (2011e). African Americans in the National Basketball Association (NBA), 2005-2006: Demography and Earnings. International Journal of Social and Management Sciences, 4, 1-25.
[46]
Kaba, A. J. (2011f). Black American Females as Geniuses. Journal of African American Studies, 15, 120-124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-010-9134-1
[47]
Kaba, A. J. (2012a). Black Americans and Interracial Marriage: A Focus on Black Women. Sociology Mind, 2, 407-427. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2012.24054
[48]
Kaba, A. J. (2012b). The Exclusion of Black Women from National Leadership Positions in the United States: Taxation with Limited Representation. Sociology Mind, 2, 133-140. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2012.22017
[49]
Kaba, A. J. (2012c). Talented Tenth: An Analysis of the 2011 Root Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Young Black Americans. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2, 1-31.
[50]
Kaba, A. J. (2012d). African Americans in the US Women’s National Basketball Association, 2006: From the NCAA to the WNBA. Sociology Mind, 2, 95-108. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2012.21013
[51]
Kaba, A. J. (2013). Profile of Contributors to the American Political Science Review, 2010. Journal of Politics and Law, 6, 54-82. https://doi.org/10.5539/jpl.v6n2p54
[52]
Kaba, A. J. (2014). The Paradoxes of Africa’s Development: African Union’s Contributions to Africa’s Recent Achievements, 2005-2014. Journal of African Foreign Affairs, 1, 55-72.
[53]
Kaba, A. J. (2015). Contributors to the American Sociological Review, 2010. Sociology Mind, 5, 114-146. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2015.52012
[54]
Kaba, A. J. (2016). Conceptualizing Tolerance as Recognition: Black American Endowed and Distinguished Professors of Education in US Colleges and Universities. Sociology Mind, 6, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2016.61001
[55]
Kaba, A. J. (2017). Explaining the High Cost of Higher Education to Black Americans: A Focus on Black American Women. Sociology Mind, 7, 171-196. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2017.74012
[56]
Kaba, A. J. (2019). United States Immigration Policies in the Trump Era. Sociology Mind, 9, 316-349. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2019.94021
[57]
Kaba, A. J. (2020). Explaining Africa’s Rapid Population Growth, 1950 to 2020: Trends, Factors, Implications, and Recommendations. Sociology Mind, 10, 226-268. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2020.104015
[58]
Kaba, A. J. (2022). The Numbers and Percentages of Christians and Muslims in Africa. International Journal of African Catholicism (IJAC), 12, 18-40.
[59]
Kaba, A. J. (2024a). West Africa’s Development, the West African Diaspora, and Preparation for Future Pandemics: The Need for an ECOWAS University System. Sociology Mind, 14, 69-94. https://doi.org/10.4236/sm.2024.141005
[60]
Kaba, A. J. (2024b). A Survey of the Geographic Area, Altitude, Coastline, and Climate of African Countries and Regions: Implications for Africa’s Development. Journal of Sustainable Development, 17, 57-80. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v17n3p57
[61]
Kaba, A. J. (2024c). The Prevalence of Temperate Climates in Capital Cities across Africa: The African Union, the African Diaspora, and Africa’s Development. Current Urban Studies, 12, 215-242. https://doi.org/10.4236/cus.2024.122011
[62]
Kaba, A. J., & Kaba, A. N. (2020). COVID-19 in African Countries versus other World Regions: A Review. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 24, 125-141.
[63]
Kaledzi, I. (2023). Back to Roots: Why African Americans Are Flocking to Ghana. DW News. https://www.dw.com/en/back-to-roots-why-african-americans-are-flocking-to-ghana/a-64403580
[64]
Komminoth, L. (2022). How Will Africans Travel in the Mega Cities of the Future. African Business. https://african.business/2022/10/trade-investment/how-will-africans-travel-in-the-megacities-of-the-future
[65]
Kompas, T., Pham, V. H., & Che, T. N. (2018). The Effects of Climate Change on GDP by Country and the Global Economic Gains from Complying with the Paris Climate Accord. Earth’s Future, 6, 1153-1173. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ef000922
[66]
Lake, O. (1995). Toward a Pan-African Identity: Diaspora African Repatriates in Ghana. Anthropological Quarterly, 68, 21-36. https://doi.org/10.2307/3317462
[67]
Marx, W., Haunschild, R., & Bornmann, L. (2021). Heat Waves: A Hot Topic in Climate Change Research. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 146, 781-800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-021-03758-y
[68]
Materu, B. (2022). The African Americans Who Chose to Return to Africa. The East African. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/magazine/the-african-americans-who-chose-to-return-to-africa-3737922
[69]
Mazrui, A. A., & Kaba, A. J. (2016). The African Intelligentsia: Domestic Decline and Global Ascent. Africa World Press.
[70]
Ncongwane, K. P., Botai, J. O., Sivakumar, V., & Botai, C. M. (2021). A Literature Review of the Impacts of Heat Stress on Human Health across Africa. Sustainability, 13, Article 5312. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095312
[71]
Ngepah, N., Tchuinkam Djemo, C. R., & Saba, C. S. (2022). Forecasting the Economic Growth Impacts of Climate Change in South Africa in the 2030 and 2050 Horizons. Sustainability, 14, Article 8299. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148299
[72]
Ngoungue Langue, C. G., Lavaysse, C., Vrac, M., & Flamant, C. (2023). Heat Wave Monitoring over West African Cities: Uncertainties, Characterization and Recent Trends. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 23, 1313-1333. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1313-2023
[73]
Parkes, B., Buzan, J. R., & Huber, M. (2022). Heat Stress in Africa under High Intensity Climate Change. International Journal of Biometeorology, 66, 1531-1545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-022-02295-1
[74]
Potts, D. (1985). Capital Relocation in Africa: The Case of Lilongwe in Malawi. The Geographical Journal, 151, 182-196. https://doi.org/10.2307/633532
[75]
Pratolongo, P., Leonardi, N., Kirby, J. R., & Plater, A. (2019). Temperate Coastal Wetlands: Morphology, Sediment Processes, and Plant Communities. In G. Perillo, E. Wolanski, & D. R Cahoon (Eds.), Coastal Wetlands: An Integrated Ecosystem Approach (pp. 105-152). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-444-63893-9.00003-4
[76]
Price, G. N., & Elu, J. U. (2017). Climate Change and Cross-State Islamist Terrorism in Nigeria. Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, 23, 1-13.
[77]
Reid, K. (2017). Married Life and Lessons Learned During My Move to South Africa. African American in Africa. https://www.aainafrica.com/blog/life-lessons-learned-move-south-africa
[78]
Ren, J., Shi, K., Li, Z., Kong, X., & Zhou, H. (2023). A Review on the Impacts of Urban Heat Islands on Outdoor Thermal Comfort. Buildings, 13, Article 1368. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061368
[79]
Sackeyfio, N., & Kaba, A. J. (2022). Gendering Environment and Climate Change in the Economic Community of West African States & the East African Community: Why Representation Matters. The Review of Black Political Economy, 49, 203-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/00346446211036762
[80]
Saeed, W., Haqiqi, I., Kong, Q., Huber, M., Buzan, J. R., Chonabayashi, S. et al. (2022). The Poverty Impacts of Labor Heat Stress in West Africa under a Warming Climate. Earth’s Future, 10, e2022EF002777. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ef002777
[81]
Sutter, P. (2022). Will Our Solar System Survive the Death of Our Sun? space.com. https://www.space.com/solar-system-fate-when-sun-dies
[82]
Takyi-Micah, N. (2022). Traveling to Africa: Reclaiming Our Identity and Expanding Black Pride. Center for Community Solutions. https://www.communitysolutions.com/resources/traveling-africa-reclaiming-identity-expanding-black-pride
[83]
Tochihara, Y., Wakabayashi, H., Lee, J., Wijayanto, T., Hashiguchi, N., & Saat, M. (2022). How Humans Adapt to Hot Climates Learned from the Recent Research on Tropical Indigenes. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 41, Article No. 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40101-022-00302-3
[84]
Tong, S., Prior, J., McGregor, G., Shi, X., & Kinney, P. (2021). Urban Heat: An Increasing Threat to Global Health. BMJ, 375, n2467. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2467
[85]
Ullah, I., Saleem, F., Iyakaremye, V., Yin, J., Ma, X., Syed, S. et al. (2022). Projected Changes in Socioeconomic Exposure to Heatwaves in South Asia under Changing Climate. Earth’s Future, 10, e2021EF002240. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021ef002240
[86]
Williams, P. K. (2006). The Impossibility of Return: Black Women’s Migrations to Africa. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 27, 54-86. https://doi.org/10.1353/fro.2007.0009
[87]
Wu, L., Bai, X., Tian, Y., Li, Y., Luo, G., Wang, J. et al. (2023). Temperature Evolution of Cooling Zones on Global Land Surface since the 1900s. Atmosphere, 14, Article 1156. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071156
[88]
Yang, J., Zhao, L., & Oleson, K. (2023). Large Humidity Effects on Urban Heat Exposure and Cooling Challenges under Climate Change. Environmental Research Letters, 18, Article ID: 044024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acc475
[89]
Yaya, O. S., Adesina, O. A., Olayinka, H. A., Ogunsola, O. E., & Gil-Alana, L. A. (2023). Long Memory Cointegration in the Analysis of Maximum, Minimum and Range Temperatures in Africa: Implications for Climate Change. Atmosphere, 14, Article 1299. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14081299
[90]
Zhang, Y., Li, Q., Ge, Y., Du, X., & Wang, H. (2022). Growing Prevalence of Heat over Cold Extremes with Overall Milder Extremes and Multiple Successive Events. Communications Earth & Environment, 3, Article No. 73. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00404-x