Mombasa, Kenya: The designs of foreign powers have molded African cities for centuries, especially along the continent’s coasts. Lagos, Nigeria: Set to become the world’s most populous city, Lagos faces all the challenges rapid growth poses, which can be boiled down to one: planning. Thirteen of the world’s 20 biggest urban areas will be in Africa — up from just two today — as will more than a third of the world’s population. 2015 LAGOS population density Replay from 2015 Lagos is already enormous, but no one is sure how many people live there. “There’s no exact science” for determining the city’s population, said Taibat Lawanson, a professor of urban planning at the University of Lagos.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 19, 2021 11:02 UTC