Nigeria is the African country with the largest population, counting over 230 million people. As of 2024, the largest city in Nigeria was Lagos, which is also the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of population size. The city counts more than nine million inhabitants, whereas Kano, the second most populous city, registers around 3.6 million inhabitants. Lagos is the main financial, cultural, and educational center in the country. Where Africa’s urban population is booming The metropolitan area of Lagos is also among the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Besides Lagos, another most populated citiy in Africa is Cairo, in Egypt. However, Africa’s urban population is booming in other relatively smaller cities. For instance, the population of Bujumbura, in Burundi, could grow by 123 percent between 2020 and 2035, making it the fastest growing city in Africa and likely in the world. Similarly, Zinder, in Niger, could reach over one million inhabitants by 2035, the second fastest growing city. Demographic urban shift More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. In the next decades, this will increase, especially in Africa and Asia. In 2020, over 80 percent of the population in Northern America was living in urban areas, the highest share in the world. In Africa, the degree of urbanization was about 40 percent, the lowest among all continents. Meeting the needs of a fast-growing population can be a challenge, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, there will be a growing necessity to implement policies to sustainably improve people’s lives in rural and urban areas.

In 2022, roughly 15.4 million people lived in Lagos, Nigeria, making it the largest city in Africa. Lagos's population has been gradually increasing, with thousands of people flocking every year to the city, searching for job opportunities and a better life. By 2035, 24.4 million might be dwelling in the city.

Cairo, in Egypt, ranked as the most populated city in Africa as of 2025, with an estimated population of over 23 million inhabitants living in Greater Cairo. Kinshasa, in Congo, and Lagos, in Nigeria, followed with some 17.8 million and 17.2 million, respectively. Among the 15 largest cities in the continent, another one, Kano, was located in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. Population density trends in Africa As of 2023, Africa exhibited a population density of 50.1 individuals per square kilometer. Since 2000, the population density across the continent has been experiencing a consistent annual increment. Projections indicated that the average population residing within each square kilometer would rise to approximately 58.5 by the year 2030. Moreover, Mauritius stood out as the African nation with the most elevated population density, exceeding 627 individuals per square kilometre. Mauritius possesses one of the most compact territories on the continent, a factor that significantly influences its high population density. Urbanization dynamics in Africa The urbanization rate in Africa was anticipated to reach close to 45.5 percent in 2024. Urbanization across the continent has consistently risen since 2000, with urban areas accommodating only around a third of the total population then. This trajectory is projected to continue its rise in the years ahead. Nevertheless, the distribution between rural and urban populations shows remarkable diversity throughout the continent. In 2024, Gabon and Libya stood out as Africa’s most urbanized nations, each surpassing 80 percent urbanization. As of the same year, Africa's population was estimated to expand by 2.27 percent compared to the preceding year. Since 2000, the population growth rate across the continent has consistently exceeded 2.3 percent, reaching its pinnacle at 2.63 percent in 2013. Although the growth rate has experienced a deceleration, Africa's population will persistently grow significantly in the forthcoming years.

As of July 2024, Nigeria's population was estimated at around 229.5 million. Between 1965 and 2024, the number of people living in Nigeria increased at an average rate of over two percent. In 2024, the population grew by 2.42 percent compared to the previous year. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. By extension, the African continent records the highest growth rate in the world. Africa's most populous country Nigeria was the most populous country in Africa as of 2023. As of 2022, Lagos held the distinction of being Nigeria's biggest urban center, a status it also retained as the largest city across all of sub-Saharan Africa. The city boasted an excess of 17.5 million residents. Notably, Lagos assumed the pivotal roles of the nation's primary financial hub, cultural epicenter, and educational nucleus. Furthermore, Lagos was one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Nigeria's youthful population In Nigeria, a significant 50 percent of the populace is under the age of 19. The most prominent age bracket is constituted by those up to four years old: comprising 8.3 percent of men and eight percent of women as of 2021. Nigeria boasts one of the world's most youthful populations. On a broader scale, both within Africa and internationally, Niger maintains the lowest median age record. Nigeria secures the 20th position in global rankings. Furthermore, the life expectancy in Nigeria is an average of 62 years old. However, this is different between men and women. The main causes of death have been neonatal disorders, malaria, and diarrheal diseases.

The LAGOS-US HUMAN v1 data package is an extension module of the LAGOS-US research platform that includes data characterizing human population (population count, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic information), urbanization, and lake access of 479,950 lakes larger than or equal to 1 ha in the conterminous U.S. (48 states plus the District of Columbia). This data module contains four data tables linked through the unique lake identifier for the LAGOS-US research platform, lagoslakeid. Human population characteristics (race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors) were derived from U.S. census data for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. Lakes were classified as urban or not using two different classifications: one based on the ‘Developed’ land category in the National Land Cover Dataset; and another based on the 2020 Census Urban Areas category. Metrics for lake access were developed from national datasets on public boat launches, transportation, and public lands. LAGOS-US HUMAN v1 provides a link between lake data and human contexts, facilitating interdisciplinary research in limnology, urban ecology, environmental justice, and conservation. To facilitate such studies, users are encouraged to use the other three core data modules of the LAGOS-US platform: LOCUS (location, identifiers, and physical characteristics of lakes and their watersheds); GEO (geospatial ecological context at multiple spatial and temporal scales); and LIMNO (in situ lake physical, chemical, and biological measurements through time) that are each found in their own data packages.

Populated place − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village) and by definition has no legal boundaries

Foraging for wild resources links urban citizens to nature and biodiversity while providing resources important for local livelihoods and culture. However, the abundance and distributional (in)equity of forageable urban tree resources have rarely been examined. Consequently, this study assessed the abundance of forageable street trees and their distribution in Lagos metropolis, Nigeria. During a survey of 32 randomly selected wards across 16 local government areas (LGAs) in the metropolis, 4,017 street trees from 46 species were enumerated. The LGA with the highest number of street trees was Ikeja, with 818 trees, while Lagos Island had the lowest count, with two trees. This disparity in tree numbers could be attributed to variations in human population density within each LGA. Ninety-four percent of the street trees surveyed had at least one documented use and 76 % had two, and thus were potentially forageable. However, the most common species had relatively low forageability scores. O..., All 16 LGAs were chosen and two wards from each LGA were randomly sampled, resulting in a total of 32 wards. Street trees were defined as "trees located in or near roads or streets" (Thomsen et al. 2016) for the purpose of this research. The road network dataset for Nigeria, which includes main roads, was obtained from the OpenStreetMap data and prepared by the World Food Programme (WFP) following the United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure standards. This dataset was used to count and identify all trees on both sides of every street in the selected wards. The size, or basal diameter, of trees on the left side of the street was subsequently measured. The location of each tree was recorded using a handheld Garmin GPS 64x device. Furthermore, the usability ratings (edible, medicinal, and other uses) of the surveyed species were recorded based on the information provided by the “Useful Tropical Plants Database†(https://tropical.theferns.info/). The edible and medicinal usability rating..., , # The abundance and distributional (in)equalities of forageable street tree resources in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.pzgmsbcwf

Description of the data and file structure

The data contains street tree data in the Lagos metropolis. Thirty-two wards (32) were selected in Lagos Metropolis. Each worksheet was labeled by the ward name, making 32 worksheets in the Excel workbook.Â

Each Worksheet represents:

S/N – the serial number of species surveyed in a particular ward

Family – this is the family the species belongs to

Latin name – this represents the scientific name or full name of the species. Genus and specific epithet

Common name - this is the name known to the general public

BC (cm) - means basal circumference, the measurement of a tree at 4.5ft above the ground

Pi = 3.142

BA (cm) - means basal diameter, calculated by dividing the BC by Pi

ud - represents an unidentifiable stem

Populated place − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village) and by definition has no legal boundaries

Populated place − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village) and by definition has no legal boundaries

A populated place consisting of more than 15 houses − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city

Populated place − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village) and by definition has no legal boundaries

Populated place − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village) and by definition has no legal boundaries

Populated place − place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village) and by definition has no legal boundaries

Los Lagos Region. name, type, Area, capital city, Country, continent, population

Examinations of ‘peri-urban’ remain elusive and often neglected by urban planners. However, these transitional zones are constantly under pressure by increasing populations from inner cities and migrants from the surrounding rural areas. The result in most developing countries is uncontrolled or unplanned landscapes. Although urban growth is inevitable and land use changes are imminent as peri-urban expansions of cities, peri-urban areas are pivotal regarding the agricultural resources necessary to urban survival. Understanding the development patterns, emerging urban forms, and their influences on peri-urban areas require an understanding of development decisions. Such knowledge will help decision makers and urban managers develop appropriate policies to address growth in ‘edge’ cities. This study focuses on the organic growth of Ikorodu, a peri-urban municipality on the outskirts of Lagos that emerged from a sleepy farming community with a population less than 100,000 in 1975 to a vibrant city exceeding one million residents in 2015. The study employs a multi-temporal remote sensing and GIS analysis to detect the urban pattern and emergent form over a 40-year period from 1975 to 2015. An empirical analysis was performed using survey data on 300 homeowners in 61 communities to identify the influences of rapid growth and the responses of planners to the city’s growth

The provided datasets capture the projected urban growth of nine coastal cities worldwide up to 2050, based on an urban growth modeling framework. These cities include Abidjan (ABI), Ivory Coast; Lagos (LAG), Nigeria; Dar es Salaam (DAR), Tanzania; Ho Chi Minh City (HCM), Vietnam; Khulna (KHL), Bangladesh; Surabaya (SBY), Indonesia; Surat (STV), India; Barranquilla (BAQ), Colombia; and Guayaquil (GYE), Ecuador. Each study area extends beyond administrative city limits to include satellite cities, towns, villages, and rural lands, forming larger settlement agglomerations. A detailed table in the repository outlines the specific administrative units considered for each city.

Urban growth projections were generated using the SLEUTH model (DOI: 10.1068/b240247), incorporating key input layers such as slope, hillshade, and exclusion zones. Historical urban extent data from the World Settlement Footprint (WSF) (DOI: 10.1553/giscience2021_01_s33) supported model calibration. The projections were guided by urban population share scenarios from the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), simulating future expansion under SSP1 (Sustainable Development), SSP2 (Middle of the Road / Business as Usual), and SSP5 (Conventional Development). The integration of SSPs involved adjusting SLEUTH’s spread and breed coefficients to reflect the underlying socioeconomic narratives.

To enhance model accuracy, we applied a zonation approach based on Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), dividing each study area into zones with distinct urban and rural characteristics. This method better aligns projections with actual settlement structures and urbanization trends, ensuring a more refined representation of future urban expansion.

The dataset accompanies the publication "Urban Growth Prediction along Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) for Future Flood Exposure Risk Assessment: A Cross-Continental Analysis of Coastal Cities" by Bachofer et al. (2025), submitted to the journal Anthropocene Coasts (DOI to be updated upon publication).

This statistic shows the biggest cities in Nigeria in 1991. In 1991, approximately *** million people lived in Lagos, making it the biggest city in Nigeria. According to the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, the 2011 population of Lagos State was **** million.

Nigeria's population structure reveals a youthful demographic, with those aged **** years comprising the largest age group compared to the total of those between the ages of 30 and 84 years. The majority of the young population are men. This demographic trend has significant implications for Nigeria's future, particularly in terms of economic development and social services. It has the potential to offer a large future workforce that could drive economic growth if it is adequately educated and employed. However, without sufficient investment in health, education, and job creation, this youth bulge could strain public resources and fuel unemployment and social unrest. Poverty challenges amid population growth Despite Nigeria's large youth population, the country faces substantial poverty challenges. This is largely due to its youth unemployment rate, which goes contrary to the expectation that the country’s large labor force would contribute to employment and the economic development of the nation. In 2022, an estimated **** million Nigerians lived in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than **** U.S. dollars a day. This number is expected to rise in the coming years, indicating a growing disparity between population growth and economic opportunities. The situation is particularly dire in rural areas, where **** million people live in extreme poverty compared to *** million in urban centers. Linguistic and ethnic diversity Nigeria's population is characterized by significant linguistic and ethnic diversity. Hausa is the most commonly spoken language at home, used by ** percent of the population, followed by Yoruba at ** percent and Igbo at ** percent. This linguistic variety reflects Nigeria's complex ethnic composition, with major groups including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulani. English, the country's official language, serves as the primary language of instruction in schools, promoting literacy across diverse communities.

In 2024, Gabon had the highest urbanization rate in Africa, with over 90 percent of the population living in urban areas. Libya and Djibouti followed at around 82 percent and 79 percent, respectively. On the other hand, many countries on the continent had the majority of the population residing in rural areas. As of 2023, urbanization in Malawi, Rwanda, Niger, and Burundi was below 20 percent. A growing urban population On average, the African urbanization rate stood at approximately 45 percent in 2023. The number of people living in urban areas has been growing steadily since 2000 and is forecast to increase further in the coming years. The urbanization process is particularly rapid in Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania. In these countries, the urban population grew by over five percent in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, in 39 countries on the continent, the urban population growth was over three percent. The most populous cities in Africa Africa’s largest city is Lagos in Nigeria, counting around nine million people. It is followed by Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cairo in Egypt, each with over seven million inhabitants. Moreover, other cities on the continent are growing rapidly. The population of Bujumbura in Burundi will increase by 123 percent between 2020 and 2035, registering the highest growth rate on the continent. Other fast-growing cities are Zinder in Niger, Kampala in Uganda, and Kabinda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The metropolitan area of Lagos in Nigeria counted over 14 million middle-class people as of 2018. This was the highest number in Africa. Addis Ababa in Ethiopia followed with 2.7 million individuals belonging to the middle class. The middle-class population included people who had a disposable income of over 75 percent of their salary, were employed, had a business activity, or were in education, and had at least a secondary school degree.