Migration & Population in Lagos (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
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
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember that a natural increase is the difference between the number of live births and deaths, generally calculated over a year. It does not include inward migration numbers.
For example, on one street, there were 5 new migrants, 10 births, and 2 deaths.
The natural increase is 8 people.
This is because the migrants chose to move there. If they then had children, then those children would be included in the natural increase rate.
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
Urban Pull Factors | Rural Push Factors |
|---|---|
More job opportunities in the manufacturing and service industries Higher wages: Lagos has the fourth-highest GDP in the whole of the African continent More schools and health care facilities Home to Nollywood, Nigeria's booming movie industry Well connected by air and sea The economy of Lagos is booming, creating new wealth on an annual basis The rapid growth of the city means there are plenty of construction jobs, e.g. building the new commercial centre, Eko Atlantic | Increased mechanisation of farming has forced people out of work Low wages and long hours for subsistence farming Drought in the north has impacted harvests and forced many to migrate Boko Haram has created instability in the north-east Niger Delta is heavily polluted Wages are much lower in rural areas |
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
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