Lagos

THE POPULATION OF NIGERIA,

Africa’s biggest nation, is on track to double to 400 million by 2050, when most of its citizens are expected to live in the cities. Lagos is the biggest—its population, now estimated between 14 million and 21 million, is expected to top 30 million by 2050.

Lagos is already struggling under the weight of population growth, extreme weather and poor infrastructure. People moving to the city for a better life tend to settle on low-lying land that is prone to flooding. Every rainy season, rainwater mixes with sewage and floods homes, triggering outbreaks of respiratory and other diseases.

Development has been focused on building high-rise buildings to handle the burgeoning population, but these are out of reach for many people in flood-prone areas. Improvements in housing stock across the board are sorely needed. A lack of infrastructure to mitigate the frequent flooding has inhibited investment. If the city can overcome this catch-22, it may be able to turn its attention to protecting the city from the extreme storms that come along every few years.