Migration & Population in Lagos (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

Population Growth of Lagos

• Since 1956, when oil was discovered in the Niger Delta, the population growth of Lagos city has been rapid 

  • In 1952, the population was approximately 325,000 people

  • Lagos officially became a megacity in 2010

  • By 2020, the population had exceeded 15 million people

  • The current population of Lagos is 16,536,000 people 

  • It is expected that the city of Lagos will reach 24.5 million people by 2035

Population growth of Lagos since the 1950s

• This is a growth rate of around 3% a year, or 3,000 people a day or 1 million people a year

• Population growth is the result of both natural increase, migration and economic investment and growth

• There are significantly more births than deaths in Lagos

  • The number of births is lower than the average in Nigeria but is still higher than the number of deaths

  • The crude birth rate for Lagos is about 37 per 1,000

  • The death rate is about 11 per 1,000 (however, many deaths are not registered)

  • More than 50% of the population of Lagos are under the age of 25 this will lead to further natural increase

Impact of economic investment on population growth in Lagos

National & International Migration in Lagos

International migration

• Migration from neighbouring countries such as Chad and Niger

• Some migration from USA and China mainly related to the oil industry

• Lagos has emerged as a major centre for the headquarters of national and global companies 

National migration

• National migration dominates, with rural to urban migration contributing most to the population increase in Lagos

Causes of National Migration 

Impact of migration on housing in Lagos

• Inward migration has caused the rapid expansion of Lagos in all directions, including a rise in slums

• Lagos has grown in a linear pattern along the major transport routes

• It has expanded across Lagos Island, spread to parts of Victoria Island, and onto the mainland

• Urban sprawl has pushed further northwest and included areas around the airport

• Eko Atlantic began development in 2009 on reclaimed land south of Victoria Island to create a new coastal city in an attempt to solve the shortage of housing

• There are wealthy areas, such as Victoria and Lagos Islands, with gated communities and many international migrants

• Ikeja is an exclusive, well-planned residential area on the mainland and was built during colonial times. It is home to several high-ranking Nigerian officials 

• More affordable areas are found on the mainland and include Surulere, aimed at young working professionals and Yaba, with its closeness to the University of Lagos and start-up tech industries

• The northern suburbs have cheaper land and room for expansion

• Squatter settlements are close to the lagoon, as many residents work in the informal economic sector or fish in the lagoon

  • Makoko settlement, which is home to around 250,000 people, is built out into the lagoon itself and floods regularly

  • Makoko was cleared in 1990 but quickly redeveloped along with others on the mainland

Age structure of Lagos

• The young dependents aged 0–14 years stand at around 32.4%

• The working population (15–64 years) accounts for 65.3%

• The elderly dependents (+65 years) stand at around 2.3%

Ethnicity of Lagos

• Nigeria can be divided into three major ethnic groups:

  • Yoruba

  • Igbo

  • Hausa

  • Lagos is in the region where majority of the people belong to Yoruba

• Lagos has a diverse population due to migration from other parts of Nigeria and surrounding countries

• There are more than 250 ethnic groups represented in Lagos

• There are small numbers of American, British, East Indian, Chinese, Greek, Syrian, Lebanese and Japanese people in the city

Impact of migration on services in Lagos

• Some services have been improved or increased

  • The city is a well-connected transport hub, with:

    • A major international airport

    • A busy seaport provides raw materials for local industries

• There are 2 power stations: one hydro-electric and one gas-fired

• There is above-average healthcare, and whilst healthcare in Lagos is not free, it is available, unlike many rural areas 

• But inward migration has limited the availability of schools and hospitals

• Many national migrants are forced to work in the informal economic sector, such as street vending, car washing or waste recycling

• There is a lack of a proper sewerage system in the city, with sewage being disposed of in open drains which flow into rivers and the lagoon

  • Just 14% of the population of Lagos have a piped and treated water supply to their homes