The prospects and challenges of developing more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities in Nigeria

The recent transition from the millennium development goals (MDGs) to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) raises concerns about the extent to which developing countries such as Nigeria have achieved the MDGs and their prospects and challenges of meeting the targets of the SDGs. This paper examines Nigeria’s prospects of achieving the SDG11 that aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” Nigeria with a population of about 203 million people, about half of which live in cities and towns, is the largest nation in Africa and the seventh in the world, and by 2050 the population could reach about 400 million, thus becoming the third-largest nation after India and China. Based on desk study methodology where data were collected from secondary sources, including official reports, this article assesses the extent to which Nigeria has achieved MDG7 as the precursor to SDG11 and analyzes the country’s prospects and challenges of meeting SDG11, considering its current urbanization, socioeconomic and security challenges. The paper concludes with key policy recommendations for scaling up efforts toward achieving SDG11 targets.