₦airaland Forum

I can't believe my village appeared as a city far back in 196 Geeeeeeez, village Man is touched

You don't mean it

So Oka Akoko is a city adonbelivit

Na lie

kettykin:
This was the controversial 1963 census that set Nigeria on a path and trajectory of no return. If you want accurate census check the census before 1940, and you can use the right census toll to extrapolate for 2026

Thank you Sir!

How come Osogbo, Ilorin and Ogbomosho were having such High population?

Was there any Higher institution or Big markets, Companies,etc

I see the Handiwork of SL Akintola and Tafawa Balewa
after they put Awolowo in Prison in 1962.

VinnyBaba:
Again according to History, The 1962 census figure was manipulated by NPC govt of Tafawa Balewa.

I suspect Ladoke Akintola and his NPC collaborators rigged the figures of Ogbomosho.

very typical of you clowns……any thing that is not in. Your favour must be rigged and invalidated, but unfortunately for you, your validation is inconsequential

Your measure na no of Bleep joints.

lawani:
Igbos have returned home to build their land as Enugu, Owerri, Onitsha and Aba are now more populated than any city in Yoruba land apart from Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin and Akure. According to the number of hotels and bank branches as available online. All those Eastern cities are about the same size now by number of hotels and bank branches but they are individually like half of Ibadan.

There was no census in Nigeria 1963

Fake numbers.Even if true, there were many other tribes residing in Lagos in the 60s

Gowon shouldn't have done No Victor No Vanquished.

Ironsi should have abolished Regional System.

See how the noise makers just trooped into Lagos.

Putinofrussia:
lol
But it was the Hausa and Igbo jointly in govt then.Why did it become controversial if it were not because they lowered the numbers for SW cities.

You are very WRONG.😒

The Govt in power was Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa NPC
which colluded with SL Akintola of the West to perpetuate evils in the country.
The Igbos were onlookers during this era.😕

Akintola and Tafawa Balewa must have Manipulated the figures.🤔

And dat's why they were targeted by the coupists and killed.

See Ilorin, Ogbomosho having such huge Population.😏

In 1963 Lagos city did include ikeja city or badagry city or ikorudu city or Victoria island city

This is lagos city

Hackanbeliefit

HisaacPlus:
Population of Cities in 1963 in Nigeria
Check your own cities

These are very useless cities.

Only Lagos, Akwa ibom (Nigerian delta ) are essential to nigeria.

Like the aboki tribe I'm sure of

BOOZELEE:
There was no census in Nigeria 1963

Fake numbers.Even if true, there were many other tribes residing in Lagos in the 60s

LoL,.. calm down all of us gada dey ni

Codes151:
These are very useless cities.

Only Lagos, Akwa ibom (Nigerian delta ) are essential to nigeria.

BOOZELEE:
There was no census in Nigeria 1963

Fake numbers.Even if true, there were many other tribes residing in Lagos in the 60s

i dont good memory now. But i believe there. Census is every 10 year

I think they said Kano is more populated than Lagos. North and ojoro politics

My memòry is nòt as sharp as befòŕe but The igbos reject the 1963 census. But satellites pictures shows the igbo are not populated as they claim

lawani:
Ife has like 50 bank branches and Owerri has over 100. There is a similar ratio for hotels. Do you need any other information to conclude about how their population compare? However Owerri as a capital city will automatically have more banks

Ife is not a state capital like Owerri.

The rise in unemployment is due to our leaders incompetence and high corruption cases. If the economy is conducive foreign investors will come in just like the UK

Walezy2020:
One of the reason we have high unemployment rate increased is because our population increased but most industries we had then had fold up

The ND oyel money really contributed to explosion of population.

Don't feed the masses with this bullshit.


This was the exact manipulated census figures that caused the census crisis in the early 1960s. While every other region gave the accurate figures, wester Nigeria manipulated their figures and no other region accepted what was presented by the western region; hence, the crisis. Every student of history knows this.

It is not today that Yorubas started manipulating figures. There was no point in human history that Ogbomosho, Abeokuta, and Akure were more populated than Port Harcourt, Benin City, Onitsha, and Aba.

OSUN state cities amongst named surpasses 100

lawani:
Ife has like 50 bank branches and Owerri has over 100. There is a similar ratio for hotels. Do you need any other information to conclude about how their population compare? However Owerri as a capital city will automatically have more banks

the problem with u lots is that u refuse to learn

So banks n hotels are your parameter for measuring development?

callmeDDD:
Lol. Na wa oo. People won't give up so easy .
Current form: I don't know where people always see their data from. Onitsha has population than Kano or what am I reading up there? Do we even need to argue about this?

This is Chatgpt:

Here are 10 major cities in Nigeria by population (based on widely accepted metro/urban estimates):


---

🇳🇬 Top 10 Cities in Nigeria (by Population)

1. Lagos
– ~15–20 million
– Nigeria’s largest city and economic powerhouse


2. Kano
– ~4–5 million
– Major commercial hub in the north


3. Ibadan
– ~3–4 million
– One of the largest cities by land area in Africa


4. Abuja
– ~3 million
– Capital city, fast-growing urban center


5. Port Harcourt
– ~2–3 million
– Oil and gas hub of the Niger Delta


6. Benin City
– ~1.5–2 million
– Historic city and regional economic center


7. Kaduna
– ~1.5–2 million
– Important industrial and military base


8. Onitsha
– ~1.5–2 million
– Home to one of Africa’s largest markets


9. Aba
– ~1–1.5 million
– Known for manufacturing and trade


10. Ilorin
– ~1 million
– Growing educational and administrative hub




---

Quick insight

Lagos alone is larger than some countries in population.

Northern cities like Kano grow fast due to trade and migration.

Southern cities like Onitsha and Aba dominate in commerce and entrepreneurship.



---

If you want, I can break this down into fastest-growing cities, richest cities, or best cities for business in Nigeria—those are more useful if you're thinking opportunities.

This is Claude:

Here are the **16 Nigerian cities with over 1 million people (2026 estimates)**:

Here are all **16 Nigerian cities with over 1 million people (2026 estimates):**

| # | City | Est. Population | State |
|---|------|----------------|-------|
| 1 | **Lagos** | 17,803,700 | Lagos |
| 2 | **Kano** | ~3,600,000 | Kano |
| 3 | **Ibadan** | ~3,500,000 | Oyo |
| 4 | **Abuja** | ~3,000,000 | FCT |
| 5 | **Port Harcourt** | ~2,300,000 | Rivers |
| 6 | **Benin City** | ~1,800,000 | Edo |
| 7 | **Maiduguri** | ~1,500,000 | Borno |
| 8 | **Zaria** | ~1,400,000 | Kaduna |
| 9 | **Aba** | ~1,300,000 | Abia |
| 10 | **Jos** | ~1,200,000 | Plateau |
| 11 | **Ilorin** | ~1,100,000 | Kwara |
| 12 | **Ogun** | ~1,090,000 | Ogun |
| 13 | **Enugu** | ~1,060,000 | Enugu |
| 14 | **Abeokuta** | ~1,040,000 | Ogun |
| 15 | **Onitsha** | ~1,020,000 | Anambra |
| 16 | **Warri** | ~1,000,000 | Delta |

> ⚠️ **Note:** Nigeria's last official census was conducted in 2006, so all current figures are projections and estimates [Traders Union](https://tradersunion.com/ratings/prop/common/with-ea/) — numbers vary depending on the source. Lagos alone has grown by over 647,000 people in the last year, a 3.77% annual change, making it one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. [Contego](https://contego.agency/blog/best-prop-firms-for-forex-eas/)

Always ask chat GPT for its source

Osariemen12:
Don't feed the masses with this bullshit.


This was the exact manipulated census figures that caused the census crisis in the early 1960s. While every other region gave the accurate figures, wester Nigeria manipulated their figures and no other region accepted what was presented by the western region; hence, the crisis. Every student of history knows this.

It is not today that Yorubas started manipulating figures. There was no point in human history that Ogbomosho, Abeokuta, and Akure were more populated than Port Harcourt, Benin City, Onitsha, and Aba.

My brother,
The thing surprise me Walahi.

Ogbomosho having Higher population than Warri and Benin city in 1963?

lawani:
Ife has like 50 bank branches and Owerri has over 100. There is a similar ratio for hotels. Do you need any other information to conclude about how their population compare? However Owerri as a capital city will automatically have more banks

owerri is a state capital naw?

richiemcgold:
Nonsense

Ife has 1 million banks ni!!! Boya Na you count am.

How Ogbomosho and Ibadan larger than Kano! Zaria larger than Katsina? Something is surely amiss