Nigeria’s population will increase  by  more than half   by 2050, a  United Nations’ forecast said on Thursday.

The country’s  current population is put at 167 million but according to the latest revisions in the study titled ‘World Urbanisation Prospects, released by the UN on Wednesday,  Nigeria will see the fastest urban population growth in the next 40 years, with its cities expected to add 200 million people.

India’s cities are to add 497 million, increasing the current total population by more than 40 percent; and Indonesia’s cities are set to add 92 million people, about a 38 per cent increase in its total population.

According to the forecast, US  cities are to add 103 million people, raising the country’s total population by a third, while China is due to boost its total population by a quarter, with an increase of 341 million in its cities.

The report said Africa’s urban population would  increase from the current 414 million to over 1.2 billion by 2050, while Asia would  increase from 1.9 billion to 3.3 billion.

It warned  however that the unprecedented rise in urban populations would  pose new challenges, including shortages of food, jobs, housing, energy, infrastructure and a deterioration of the urban environment.

On the positive said, the report said the increase would provide  new opportunities to improve education and public services in both Africa and Asia, “as more concentrated populations become easier to reach”.

An Assistant secretary-General in the UN  Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Mr.   Jomo Sundaram, gave  two reasons for  the rapid growth of urban populations in Africa.

He told the International Press Service, “Firstly, Africa has still very high rate of ‘natural’ population growth – both in urban and rural areas.

“The population in cities and urban agglomerations increases because there are significantly more births than deaths.

“Secondly, Africa’s level of urbanisation has been relatively low, so the continent is now “catching up” with other major regions.

“In some parts of Africa, scarcity of available arable and pastoral land is probably contributing to rural-urban migration.”

According to the UN, half the world’s seven  billion people live in cities at present.

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