List of Nigerian cities by population

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.

Lagos

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, 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		Population density
				km2	sq mi	per km2	per sq mi
1	Lagos[a]	Lagos	7,099,490	1,151.1	444.4	6,871	17,800
2	Kano[b]	Kano	2,828,861	523.6	202.2	6,300	16,000
3	Ibadan[c]	Oyo	2,559,853	563.1	217.4	985.13	2,551.5
4	Benin City[d]	Edo	1,147,188	344.8	133.1	953	2,470
5	Port Harcourt[e]	Rivers	1,005,904	394.5	152.3	2,726	7,060
6	Aba[f]	Abia	1,002,265	163.7	63.2	7,400	19,000
7	Jos[g]	Plateau	821,618	336.7	130.0	451	1,170
8	Ilorin[h]	Kwara	777,667	149.3	57.6	1,016	2,630
9	Abuja	FCT	776,298	865.6	334.2	439	1,140
10	Kaduna[i]	Kaduna	760,084	488.9	188.8	5,802	15,030
11	Enugu[j]	Enugu	722,664	186.8	72.1	1,300	3,400
12	Zaria[k]	Kaduna	695,089	132.3	51.1	1,234.6	3,198
13	Ogbomosho[l]	Oyo	602,690	119.9	46.3
14	Warri[m]	Delta	557,398	214.8	82.9
15	Ikorodu	Lagos	535,619	37.1	14.3	1,553	4,020
16	Maiduguri	Borno	521,492	194.7	75.2	3,807	9,860
17	Ife[n]	Osun	509,035	56.1	21.7	291	750
18	Bauchi	Bauchi	493,810	187.2	72.3	134	350
19	Akure	Ondo	484,798	196.4	75.8	489	1,270
20	Abeokuta	Ogun	451,607	242.1	93.5	510	1,300
21	Uyo[o]	Akwa Ibom	436,606	209.7	81.0	1,206	3,120
22	Oyo[p]	Oyo	428,798	42	16	177	460
23	Sokoto	Sokoto	427,760	138	53
24	Owerri	Imo	401,873	201.1	77.6	729	1,890
25	Yola[q]	Adamawa	392,854	119.8	46.3	473	1,230
26	Calabar	Cross River	371,022	118.8	45.9	910	2,400
27	Umuahia[r]	Abia	359,230	121.1	46.8	933	2,420
28	Ondo	Ondo	358,430	32.2	12.4
29	Minna[s]	Niger	348,788	112.1	43.3	209	540
30	Lafia	Nasarawa	330,712	89.8	34.7
31	Okene	Kogi	320,260	32.7	12.6	976.4	2,529
32	Katsina	Katsina	318,459	142.6	55.1	2,243	5,810
-	Ikeja	Lagos	313,196	49.92	19.27	6,274	16,250
33	Nsukka	Enugu	309,633	45.38	17.52
34	Ado Ekiti	Ekiti	308,621	114.2	44.1	1,053	2,730
35	Awka	Anambra	301,657	95.6	36.9
36	Iseyin	Oyo	286,700	45.2	17.5
37	Mubi[t]	Adamawa	280,009	63.2	24.4
38	Onitsha[u]	Anambra	261,604	121.2	46.8	5,030.8	13,030
39	Sagamu	Ogun	253,412	28.2	10.9
40	Makurdi	Benue	249,000	73.1	28.2
41	Mokwa	Niger	244,937	25.2	9.7	56.4	146
42	Badagry	Lagos	241,093	28.2	10.9	547	1,420
43	Ilesa	Osun	233,900	30.1	11.6
44	Gombe	Gombe	230,900	72.2	27.9
45	Obafemi Owode	Ogun	228,851	34.2	13.2	162	420
46	Owo	Ondo	218,886	27.3	10.5	213	550
47	Suleja	Niger	216,578	35.1	13.6	1,820	4,700
48	Lavun	Niger	209,917	35.1	13.6	74	190
49	Potiskum	Yobe	205,876	51.2	19.8	368	950
50	Kukawa	Borno	203,864	24.2	9.3	41.6	108
51	Gusau	Zamfara	201,200	81.2	31.4
52	Iwo	Osun	191,377	21.2	8.2	894	2,320
53	Bida	Niger	188,181	51.2	19.8	3,689	9,550
54	Ugep	Cross River	187,000	34.1	13.2
55	Ijebu Ode	Ogun	186,700	43.2	16.7
56	Epe	Lagos	181,409	33.2	12.8	188	490
57	Ise Ekiti	Ekiti	167,100	35.2	13.6
58	Gboko	Benue	166,400	22.8	8.8
59	Ilawe Ekiti	Ekiti	160,700	23.2	9.0
60	Ikare	Ondo	160,600	24.2	9.3
61	Osogbo[v]	Osun	156,694	47.2	18.2	3,334	8,640
62	Okpoko	Anambra	152,900	38.1	14.7
63	Garki	Jigawa	152,233	38.4	14.8	108.12	280.0
64	Sapele	Delta	151,000	38.2	14.7
65	Ila	Osun	150,700	29.3	11.3
66	Shaki	Oyo	150,300	34.2	13.2
67	Ijero	Ekiti	147,300	26.1	10.1
68	Ikot Ekpene	Akwa Ibom	143,077	22.3	8.6	1,233	3,190
69	Jalingo	Taraba	139,845	56.4	21.8
70	Otukpo	Benue	136,800	24.3	9.4
71	Okigwe	Imo	132,237	20.3	7.8
72	Kisi	Oyo	130,800	19.3	7.5
73	Buguma	Rivers	124,200	21.1	8.1
74	Funtua	Katsina	122,500	27.1	10.5
75	Abakaliki	Ebonyi	151,723	57.7	22.3
76	Asaba[w]	Delta	149,603	24.8	9.6	558	1,450
77	Gbongan	Osun	117,300	20.4	7.9
78	Igboho	Oyo	115,000	19.2	7.4
79	Gashua	Yobe	109,600	37.2	14.4
80	Bama	Borno	102,800	24.1	9.3
81	Uromi	Edo	101,400	23.2	9.0

• 
  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

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 a built environment.

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

Rank	City	State	Population	Area		Density
				km2	sq mi	per km2	per sq mi
1	Lagos	Lagos	12,830,000	1,425	550	9,000	23,000
2	Onitsha	Anambra	7,910,000	832	321	14,300	37,000
3	Kano	Kano	3,680,000	251	97	14,600	38,000
4	Ibadan	Oyo	2,910,000	466	180	6,200	16,000
5	Port Harcourt	Rivers	1,865,000	158	61	11,800	31,000
6	Abuja	FCT	1,580,000	225	87	7,000	18,000
7	Benin City	Edo	1,355,000	228	88	5,900	15,000
8	Aba	Abia	1,215,000	901	348	13,400	35,000
9	Kaduna	Kaduna	1,100,000	153	59	7,200	19,000
10	Ilorin	Kwara	890,000	83	32	10,700	28,000
11	Enugu	Enugu	810,000	682	263	1,200	3,100
12	Jos	Plateau	790,000	70	27	11,300	29,000

See also

• List of cities in Nigeria
• List of populated places in Nigeria
• Lists of villages in Nigeria

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