W’Bank projects 4.4% economic growth, cites reforms, export gainsOver the next 25 years alone, an additional 140.3 million people, a figure more than double the current urban population, are expected to live in Nigerian cities, with the urban population projected to reach around 264 million by 2050. Nigeria is expected to be the third most populous country in the world, after China and India, according to a report by the World Bank. Entitled ‘Multi-sector analytical review and pathway to transformation’, the report highlighted that Nigeria’s urban population has grown exponentially over the last 65 years – from just under seven million in 1960 to over 128 million in 2024, with nearly half the urban population living in slums. It is projected that 70 per cent of the population will live in urban areas by 2050, with cities at the centre of the country’s economic future. The World Bank study identified five core challenges that constrain livability and limit the economic potential of Nigerian cities.

Source: The Guardian January 14, 2026 11:25 UTC