Making the Voices of Local People Heard in the Global South Cities With Doctoral Student Joel Ansah

My name is Joel Ansah, and I am a doctoral candidate in Political Science at Sciences Po, affiliated with the Centre for International Research (CERI). My research, which is generously funded by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, the French national research centre), focuses on the intersection of urban informality, urban politics, grassroots social movements, and policy change in cities of the Global South.

Prior to my doctoral studies, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, which was followed by my master’s degree in Governing the Large Metropolis at the Sciences Po Urban School which I completed with Cum Laude.  My master’s degree culminated in a research study on the forms of governance present in informal settlements in Accra, Ghana.

My current thesis explores how grassroots movements and mobilisations emerge in informal settlements of cities of the Global South in response to maladaptive or repressive state-led flood risk reduction policies and projects, which often lead to evictions or forceful relocations.

Comparing Accra and Lagos, my research seeks to understand how residents of informal settlements, who are also at the forefront of climate change and other environmental challenges, mobilise through protests, advocacy, negotiations, and litigations, to contest and reshape these repressive state-led projects.

My research also examines, through a comparative lens, the local contexts of the two cities, exploring the social and political processes that influence how these repressive environmental policies and projects are formulated and implemented on the one hand, and the capacity of local grassroots movements to emerge and contest these policies and projects. Ultimately, my research would provide insights into realising more effective, inclusive, and equitable urban governance approaches that ensure that the needs and voices of the local people are considered in policy decisions. 

On a personal level, the experience of conducting fieldwork in some of these informal settlements in Accra and Lagos, experiencing first-hand, the daily lives and struggles of the residents, and chronicling their stories and local ingenuity not only proved insightful but also rekindled my desire to contribute to solving some of the many urban problems on the continent.

My Master Governing the Large Metropolis at the Urban School played an astonishing role in opening my perspective to some of the key issues that cities face, and how existing resources could be mobilised innovatively to tackle them.

The curriculum focuses on cities in both the Global North and the Global South, allowing me to gain deeper insights into urban issues in Asian, North American and South American cities, while also enabling me to contribute to discussions and perspectives on African cities. 

Subjects such as “Housing and Land in the Large Metropolis”, “Structuring Urban Infrastructure Projects”, “Providing Services to Unplanned Settlements in the Global South”, and the regional course “The African Metropolis” not only made lasting impressions on me, but they also significantly influenced my research interests and scope.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program provides access to quality education to some of the brightest minds from the African continent and gives a platform where scholars benefit from training in leadership, entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and community engagement. Being a laureate made for an enriching experience at Sciences Po.

Primarily, by taking care of my financial needs, my university experience was seamless as I did not have to worry about tuition fees and subsistent costs as a graduate student, allowing me to concentrate on getting coursework done the best way I could.

Furthermore, the Program was always ready to provide psychological and logistical support during my studies, it was a strong resource I always fell back on. This made it easier for me to settle in Paris, far away from my family. Similarly, I found a second family in my fellow scholars, on whom I relied for the needed emotional support throughout my studies. The occasional cookouts, promenades, and banters served as important pressure reliefs from all the academic stress. Currently, most of my fellow alumni are part of my strong social capital on which I rely in my doctoral journey, and it brings me much joy to hear about their own exploits in their different careers. 

My experience at Sciences Po would not have been half as interesting, fulfilling, and life-changing without the support of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. I am now excited about engaging with the new scholars and extending the same level of support to them.

Owing to my current immersion in urban issues and research into some of the serious problems that cities of Africa face, I aspire to contribute significantly to ensuring equity and environmental justice for people who have no choice but to reside in urban informal settlements across the continent. It is my objective to use my career in research to unravel the complex urban issues that the continent faces and contribute to ways of dealing with them, but also to engage in more practical projects, together with the local residents and leverage their local adaptive knowledge, to deal especially with the issue of flooding and its impacts on such settlements.

With the start of the ambitious second phase of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po, I am excited that more brilliant change leaders from Africa will have the opportunity to realise their dreams of higher education at a prestigious university such as Sciences Po.

Due to the competitiveness of admissions at both Sciences Po and the Scholars Program, prospective scholars should endeavour to put in strong and compelling applications. Among other things, applicants should emphasise their passion and commitments and how they align with their choice of study as well as the objectives of the Scholars Program. Applicants should not underestimate the strength of elements such as the recommendations from their former lecturers.

Applicants should be excited that they are taking the first steps into their future. I am a firm believer that people who work hard and are consistent in their endeavours have stories to tell, and I am eagerly looking forward to hearing them.

Phenomenal.