Lagos state is the smallest state in Nigeria, yet has the highest urban population.

Lagos city achieved ‘megacity’ status under UN guidelines in 1995, when the total city population boomed to over 10 million people and it now stands as the world’s sixth most populated megacity.

Population estimates suggest that 20 million residents live within the roughly 1,200 square miles of the city, and the population is projected to continue growing over the coming years.

According to Canada’s Ontario Tech University, by the turn of the next century, Lagos could be marked as the world’s most densely populated city, outranking some of the most crowded regions on the globe, including Tokyo, Delhi and Shanghai.

The most recent National Census in 2006 recorded the population of Lagos State as just over 9 million people, roughly six percent of the total national population of 140 million.

However, the United Nations estimates Lagos now has a population of between 18 and 20 million, with an annual growth rate of six percent.

By comparison, the total estimated population of London is nine million, broadly similar to New York, and roughly 22 million in Beijing, one of the most populated cities in the globe.

The next census was originally due to be conducted in 2016 but was repeatedly delayed until a date was agreed for the first digital census to take place in April 2023.

Once again, the Buhari administration postponed the census and a new date is yet to be confirmed, meaning domestic records of the exact population data remain unclear.

On a national level, the UN reports Nigeria’s urban population has risen continually since 2010.

Lagos is already the largest city in Nigeria and is the most populous area on the African continent.

The rise in population has presented challenges within the metropolitan city, particularly issues surrounding traffic congestion, lack of housing and environmental pollution.

As birth rates begin to shrink in some parts of the world, particularly Europe and East Asia, Africa’s population is expected to continue to grow.

Ontario Tech University forecasts the population of Lagos will reach over 88 million by 2100. Comparably, London’s population is projected to grow by just over 500,000 in 75 years, bringing the total to roughly 9.5 million.