A Megacity

Lagos Nigeria

It is estimated that over 17.5 million people currently live in Lagos, the city boasting the biggest population in the entire continent. Nobody knows for sure, since the count varies from day to day. Some say it could be as much as 2 million more. With the current rate of growth, it’s fair to say that Lagos will likely soon be the third-biggest city in the world.

In 1901, there were as few as 37 000 people here. By 1921, it was already 100 000, and by 1971, the population had reached 1.2 million. The population census of 2006 gave a resident count of nearly 8 million in the city center, and a further 9 million in the surrounding federal state of Lagos. As with many of the largest metropoles around the world, massive suburbs and satellite towns have sprung up, including, naturally, a number of different slum areas.

Population Density

The population density of the city is about 18 900 people per km². That’s an extremely high ratio. In Munich, the population density is a mere 4 500 people. This ratio is even higher than, for example, Hong Kong, one of the most population-dense cities in the world.

Despite countless city infrastructure renewals, you are immediately aware of the astounding number of people when you arrive in Lagos, especially if you want to drive a car in the city center. Non-stop, round-the-clock traffic jams are the norm here. The roads are packed with vehicles of every kind, many of them rusty and dilapidated, along with motorcycles and scooters. Whenever the traffic grinds to a halt, scores of beggars and traders swarm the vehicles and bang on the windows. There are long connecting streets that have been built as bridges over the water to the “mainland”, because there’s simply no more space in the inner city. When driving over these highway bridges, you can also see the slum areas and countless house boats covering part of the open marine bay.

Bigger than Lagos 2000?

Lagos Millennium Campaign in 2000 with 1,6 Million People in one Meeting
On the Sunday of our “Millennium Campaign” in 2000, 1.6 million people gathered together.

On the Sunday of our “Millennium Campaign” in 2000, 1.6 million people gathered together. It was a day that fulfilled a prophecy, spoken in February 1984 in Soweto, which said that the day would come when more than a million people would give their lives to Jesus in a single service. On that day in 2000, 1 093 000 decision cards were counted. We are sure that all of Heaven rejoiced.

Nevertheless, in 2017, we find that the Lord is encouraging us to expect even greater outcomes than that.

Unreached by the Gospel

With this gigantic harbor city booming as it is, every day sees an influx of new immigrants from many different African countries and regions. They move here in the hope of work and opportunity, to find somewhere to live, to thrive and to stay. Many come from the northern, mostly Muslim-influenced regions, and that brings a completely new generation of young people, who have since grown up here. That’s why, in this city, there are throngs of people who have never yet heard the Gospel.

It’s time to change that.

It’s time for “Lagos 2017”!

In a few weeks, we’ll send you more information about Lagos, and tell you about our progress with the preparations.

Help us to make the Lagos 2017 Campaign a true success!

“Christianity is either supernatural, or it is worthless. We have a supernatural Jesus, with a supernatural ministry, who founded a supernatural church, with a supernatural Gospel and a supernatural Bible. If we take away the supernatural, then we’ve taken away the life and the heart of the Gospel.”

Reinhard Bonnke

 

The work of CfaN goes on

We need your help!

Can we call on you in this time for a special donation to support the “Great Gospel Campaign Lagos 2017”? We’re expecting something that will have a truly lasting effect on this enormous city and the entire region. No donation is too small or insignificant – every single one makes a decisive difference to our ministry. You are helping to proclaim the Gospel, and to change the lives of the people of Lagos forever.

Africa will be saved!

Donate

 

 

Thank you for all your support!