Lagos, Lagos
Kano, Kano
Ibadan, Oyo
Benin City, Edo
Port Harcourt, Rivers
Jos, Plateau
Ilorin, Kwara
Abuja, FCT
Enugu, Enugu
Zaria, Kaduna
Ikorodu, Lagos
Maiduguri, Borno
Aba, Abia

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.

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, or 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.

Rank City State 2006 census Total
area (km2) 		Population
density (/km2)
1 Lagos[a] Lagos 8,048,430 1,171.3 6,871
2 Kano[b] Kano 2,828,861 449 6,300
3 Ibadan[c] Oyo 2,559,853 1,060 831
4 Benin City[d] Edo 1,147,188 1,204 953
5 Port Harcourt[e] Rivers 1,005,904 369 2,726
6 Aba[f] Abia 1,002,265 901 7,400
7 Jos[g] Plateau 821,618 1,821 451
8 Ilorin[h] Kwara 777,667 765 1,016
9 Abuja FCT 776,298 1,769 439'
10 Kaduna[i] Kaduna 760,084 131 5,802
11 Enugu[j] Enugu 722,664 556 1300
12 Zaria[k] Kaduna 695,089 563 1,234.6
13 Ogbomosho[l] Oyo 602,690 2,110
14 Warri[m] Delta 557,398
15 Ikorodu Lagos 535,619 345 1,553
16 Maiduguri Borno 521,492 137 3,807
17 Ife[n] Osun 509,035 1,750 291
18 Bauchi Bauchi 493,810 3,687 134
19 Akure Ondo 484,798 991 489
20 Abeokuta Ogun 451,607 879 510
21 Uyo[o] Akwa Ibom 436,606 362 1,206
22 Oyo[p] Oyo 428,798 2427 177
23 Sokoto Sokoto 427,760
24 Owerri Imo 401,873 551 729
25 Yola[q] Adamawa 392,854 831 473
26 Calabar Cross River 371,022 406 910
27 Umuahia[r] Abia 359,230 385 933
28 Ondo Ondo 358,430
29 Minna[s] Niger 348,788 1,664 209
30 Lafia Nasarawa 330,712
31 Okene Kogi 320,260 328 976.4
32 Katsina Katsina 318,459 142 2,243
- Ikeja Lagos 313,196 49.92 6,274
33 Nsukka Enugu 309,633 45.38
34 Ado Ekiti Ekiti 308,621 293 1,053
35 Awka Anambra 301,657
36 Iseyin Oyo 286,700 1,820
37 Mubi[t] Adamawa 280,009 1,317
38 Onitsha[u] Anambra 261,604 52 5,030.8
39 Sagamu Ogun 253,412
40 Makurdi Benue 249,000
41 Mokwa Niger 244,937 4,338 56.4
42 Badagry Lagos 241,093 441 547
43 Ilesa Osun 233,900
44 Gombe Gombe 230,900
45 Obafemi Owode Ogun 228,851 1,410 162
46 Owo Ondo 218,886 1,027 213
47 Suleja Niger 216,578 119 1,820
48 Lavun Niger 209,917 2,835 74
49 Potiskum Yobe 205,876 559 368
50 Kukawa Borno 203,864 4,901 41.6
51 Gusau Zamfara 201,200
52 Iwo Osun 191,377 214 894
53 Bida Niger 188,181 51 3,689
54 Ugep Cross River 187,000
55 Ijebu Ode Ogun 186,700
56 Epe Lagos 181,409 965 188
57 Ise Ekiti Ekiti 167,100
58 Gboko Benue 166,400
59 Ilawe Ekiti Ekiti 160,700
60 Ikare Ondo 160,600
61 Osogbo[v] Osun 156,694 47 3,334
62 Okpoko Anambra 152,900
63 Garki Jigawa 152,233 1,408 108.12
64 Sapele Delta 151,000
65 Ila Osun 150,700
66 Shaki Oyo 150,300
67 Ijero Ekiti 147,300
68 Ikot Ekpene Akwa Ibom 143,077 116 1,233
69 Jalingo Taraba 139,845
70 Otukpo Benue 136,800
71 Okigwe Imo 132,237
72 Kisi Oyo 130,800
73 Buguma Rivers 124,200
74 Funtua Katsina 122,500
75 Abakaliki Ebonyi 151,723
76 Asaba[w] Delta 149,603 268 558
77 Gbongan Osun 117,300
78 Igboho Oyo 115,000
79 Gashua Yobe 109,600
80 Bama Borno 102,800
81 Uromi Edo 101,400

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 built environment.

This is 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 2016. Demographia uses maps, satellite photographs to estimate continuous urbanization.[2]

Rank City State Population Area (km2) Density (/km2)
1 Lagos Lagos 12,830,000 1,425 9000
2 onitsha Anambra 7,910,000 832 14,300
3 Kano Kano 3,680,000 251 14,600
4 Ibadan Oyo 2,910,000 466 6,200
5 Port Harcourt Rivers 1,865,000 158 11,800
6 Abuja FCT 1,580,000 225 7,000
7 Benin City Edo 1,355,000 228 5,900
8 Aba Abia 1,215,000 901 13,400
9 Kaduna Kaduna 1,100,000 153 7,200
10 Ilorin Kwara 890,000 83 10,700
11 Enugu Enugu 810,000 682 1,200
12 Jos Plateau 790,000 70 11,300

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

External links

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