Lagos will be among the world’s most important cities by 2035

According to a new report, this Nigerian city is estimated to become one of the most important places across the world within the next 16 years.
This prediction is based on population alone.
Fellow African city, Kinshasa in DR Congo, is also expected to be one of the top 10 most places in the world by 2035.

A report by Oxford Economics has predicted what the top 10 cities in the world are going to be by 2035. This forecast is measured by economic size, population, and GDP growth rate.

Based on the population metric, Lagos in Nigeria and Kinshasa in DR Congo have been estimated to become two of the cities that take centre stage in the next 16 years.

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Here is a breakdown:

Lagos is ranked as the eighth top city by 2035 with a population of 24.2 million.

As of 2016, this major African financial centre had an estimated population of 21 million. This population growth has resulted in a deficit in housing and other resources.

Lagos set to be one of the most important cities in the world by 2035 (weforum) Pulse Nigeria

Kinshasa, the other African city on the list, is ranked seventh with 24.7 million. The city, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, currently has an estimated population of 11.58 million.

“On the African continent, Kinshasa and Lagos are already among the world’s largest megacities (home to over 10 million people) and will hold top spots by the turn of the century," the report reads.

While many might see this increase in population as a negative development, the Oxford Economics report notes that “Population and demographics can be major assets to a country’s growth.”