From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial city, Kenya’s capital, Nairobi and Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will face the harshest problem of population growth, sanitation, high crime rates and air pollution among others by 2050, a report said.

The Ecological Threat Report (ETR) 2022 released in London on Wednesday by the Global Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), revealed that the population in the three cities which are among the world’s 33 mega-cities, will experience a population explosion, fueling crime upsurge, poor sanitation and air pollution.

“There are currently 33 mega-cities with the number expected to increase to 47 by 2050. The megacities most likely to face the harshest challenges are Kinshasa, Nairobi and Lagos,” the report said.

The report said more than 60 per cent of megacities are in low-peace countries with the highest population growth rates, poorest sanitation, higher level of petty and organized crimes and pervasive air pollution.

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It projected that the increasing world population amid climate change pressures could trigger natural disasters and migration, food shortages, conflict and water stress. It urged governments in the countries to take action.

“Governments and international agencies must invest in building long-term resilience to avert future ecological destruction, forced migration and conflict,” the institute (IEP) Executive Chairman, Steve Killelea, said.

The IEP said it monitored the situation in about 228 countries and territories with about 56 per cent facing extreme ecological threats.

Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub has a population of 15.4 million three times the population of Liberia.