List of Nigerian cities by population

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Lagos Lagos Island.jpg
Lagos

The following are lists of the most populous fully defined incorporated settlements in Nigeria by population. This page consists of three different tables, with different kinds of settlements; a list for "defined cities", listing the population, strictly within the defined city limits, a list for "urban area" population, and another list for the population within metropolitan areas.

Contents

Lists

Defined cities/towns

Nigerian cities are categorized into three types; there is the "Metropolis", which is characterized by having more than one Local Government Areas (LGAs). These types of cities are usually formed when large municipalities are split into smaller LGAs, to aid efficient administration and management, when small towns grow and merge into existing large cities, or both; some are also formed when urban areas of multiple LGAs merge as a result of growth and are now fully defined as a single settlement, Another type of settlement is the "Municipality", which is basically an LGA that is fully defined as its own city or town. These types of cities are usually mid-sized, although some large cities also exist as a single LGA. The third type of settlement is the "village", which is basically grouped together with several other villages into one sizeable LGA.

The following table lists fully defined incorporated cities in Nigeria, with a population of at least 100,000, as declared by the Nigerian National Population Commission after the 2006 National census. [1] This list refers only to the population of individual cities within their defined limits, which does not include other distinct communities or extended suburban areas within urban agglomerations. A city is displayed in bold if it is a state or federal capital, and in italics if it is the most populous city in the state.

RankCityState2006 censusTotal
area
Population
density
km2sq miper km2per sq mi
1 Lagos [a] Lagos 7,099,4901,151.1444.46,87117,800
2 Kano [b] Kano 2,828,861523.6202.26,30016,000
3 Ibadan [c] Oyo 2,559,853563.1217.4985.132,551.5
4 Benin City [d] Edo 1,147,188344.8133.19532,470
5 Port Harcourt [e] Rivers 1,005,904394.5152.32,7267,060
6 Aba [f] Abia 1,002,265163.763.27,40019,000
7 Jos [g] Plateau 821,618336.7130.04511,170
8 Ilorin [h] Kwara 777,667149.357.61,0162,630
9 Abuja FCT 776,298865.6334.24391,140
10 Kaduna [i] Kaduna 760,084488.9188.85,80215,030
11 Enugu [j] Enugu 722,664186.872.11,3003,400
12 Zaria [k] Kaduna 695,089132.351.11,234.63,198
13 Ogbomosho [l] Oyo 602,690119.946.3
14 Warri [m] Delta 557,398214.882.9
15 Ikorodu Lagos 535,61937.114.31,5534,020
16 Maiduguri Borno 521,492194.775.23,8079,860
17 Ife [n] Osun 509,03556.121.7291750
18 Bauchi Bauchi 493,810187.272.3134350
19 Akure Ondo 484,798196.475.84891,270
20 Abeokuta Ogun 451,607242.193.55101,300
21 Uyo [o] Akwa Ibom 436,606209.781.01,2063,120
22 Oyo [p] Oyo 428,7984216177460
23 Sokoto Sokoto 427,76013853
24 Owerri Imo 401,873201.177.67291,890
25 Yola [q] Adamawa 392,854119.846.34731,230
26 Calabar Cross River 371,022118.845.99102,400
27 Umuahia [r] Abia 359,230121.146.89332,420
28 Ondo Ondo 358,43032.212.4
29 Minna [s] Niger 348,788112.143.3209540
30 Lafia Nasarawa 330,71289.834.7
31 Okene Kogi 320,26032.712.6976.42,529
32 Katsina Katsina 318,459142.655.12,2435,810
- Ikeja Lagos 313,19649.9219.276,27416,250
33 Nsukka Enugu 309,63345.3817.52
34 Ado Ekiti Ekiti 308,621114.244.11,0532,730
35 Awka Anambra 301,65795.636.9
36 Iseyin Oyo 286,70045.217.5
37 Mubi [t] Adamawa 280,00963.224.4
38 Onitsha [u] Anambra 261,604121.246.85,030.813,030
39 Sagamu Ogun 253,41228.210.9
40 Makurdi Benue 249,00073.128.2
41 Mokwa Niger 244,93725.29.756.4146
42 Badagry Lagos 241,09328.210.95471,420
43 Ilesa Osun 233,90030.111.6
44 Gombe Gombe 230,90072.227.9
45 Obafemi Owode Ogun 228,85134.213.2162420
46 Owo Ondo 218,88627.310.5213550
47 Suleja Niger 216,57835.113.61,8204,700
48 Lavun Niger 209,91735.113.674190
49 Potiskum Yobe 205,87651.219.8368950
50 Kukawa Borno 203,86424.29.341.6108
51 Gusau Zamfara 201,20081.231.4
52 Iwo Osun 191,37721.28.28942,320
53 Bida Niger 188,18151.219.83,6899,550
54 Ugep Cross River 187,00034.113.2
55 Ijebu Ode Ogun 186,70043.216.7
56 Epe Lagos 181,40933.212.8188490
57 Ise Ekiti Ekiti 167,10035.213.6
58 Gboko Benue 166,40022.88.8
59 Ilawe Ekiti Ekiti 160,70023.29.0
60 Ikare Ondo 160,60024.29.3
61 Osogbo [v] Osun 156,69447.218.23,3348,640
62 Okpoko Anambra 152,90038.114.7
63 Garki Jigawa 152,23338.414.8108.12280.0
64 Sapele Delta 151,00038.214.7
65 Ila Osun 150,70029.311.3
66 Shaki Oyo 150,30034.213.2
67 Ijero Ekiti 147,30026.110.1
68 Ikot Ekpene Akwa Ibom 143,07722.38.61,2333,190
69 Jalingo Taraba 139,84556.421.8
70 Otukpo Benue 136,80024.39.4
71 Okigwe Imo 132,23720.37.8
72 Kisi Oyo 130,80019.37.5
73 Buguma Rivers 124,20021.18.1
74 Funtua Katsina 122,50027.110.5
75 Abakaliki Ebonyi 151,72357.722.3
76 Asaba [w] Delta 149,60324.89.65581,450
77 Gbongan Osun 117,30020.47.9
78 Igboho Oyo 115,00019.27.4
79 Gashua Yobe 109,60037.214.4
80 Bama Borno 102,80024.19.3
81 Uromi Edo 101,40023.29.0

Urban areas

An urban area is a continuously built-up land mass of urban development that is within a labor market, without regard for administrative or city boundaries. An urban area is a human settlement with high population density and infrastructure of a built environment.

This section lists contiguous urban areas in Nigeria, with a population of at least 500,000. The figures here have been taken from Demographia's "World Urban Areas" study in 2016. Demographia uses maps, satellite photographs to estimate continuous urbanization. [2]

RankCityStatePopulationAreaDensity
km2sq miper km2per sq mi
1 Lagos Lagos 12,830,0001,4255509,00023,000
2 Onitsha Anambra 7,910,00083232114,30037,000
3 Kano Kano 3,680,0002519714,60038,000
4 Ibadan Oyo 2,910,0004661806,20016,000
5 Port Harcourt Rivers 1,865,0001586111,80031,000
6 Abuja FCT 1,580,000225877,00018,000
7 Benin City Edo 1,355,000228885,90015,000
8 Aba Abia 1,215,00090134813,40035,000
9 Kaduna Kaduna 1,100,000153597,20019,000
10 Ilorin Kwara 890,000833210,70028,000
11 Enugu Enugu 810,0006822631,2003,100
12 Jos Plateau 790,000702711,30029,000

See also

Notes

  1. Metropolitan Lagos consists 16 out of Lagos State's 20 LGA, which excludes: Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu
  2. summing the 8 LGAs in Kano, which includes: Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni, Nasarawa, Ungogo and Kumbotso
  3. Summing the 11 LGAs of Ibadan
  4. Benin City consists of 3 LGAs, which includes: Egor, Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha
  5. summing Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt LGA, which both make up the city
  6. Aba North Aba South, osisioma ngwa, ugwunabo and obingwa LGAs
  7. Jos consists of 3 LGAs, which includes: Jos North, Jos South and Jos East
  8. Ilorin consists of 3 LGAs, which includes: Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Ilorin West
  9. Kaduna consists of 2 LGAs, which includes: Kaduna North and Kaduna South
  10. Enugu East, Enugu North and Enugu South LGAs
  11. Zaria consists of 2 LGAs, which includes: Zaria and Sabon Gari
  12. Ogbomosho North and Ogbomosho South LGAs
  13. Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West LGAs
  14. Ife North, Ife Central and Ife East LGAs
  15. Itu and Uyo LGAs
  16. Atiba, Oyo East and Oyo West LGAs
  17. Yola North and Yola South LGAs
  18. Umuahia North and Umuahia South LGAs
  19. Bosso and Chanchaga LGAs
  20. summing Mubi North and Mubi South
  21. consists 2 LGAs: Onitsha North and Onitsha South
  22. Osogbo and Olorunda LGAs
  23. Oshimili South LGA

References

  1. "FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA: 2006 Population Census" (PDF). Web.archive.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. Demographia (April 2016). Demographia World Urban Areas (PDF) (12th ed.). Retrieved November 17, 2016.

Further reading