When people talk about Africa’s future, they talk about Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Accra. – the “obvious” capitals. But those cities are already crowded, expensive, and choking under the weight of their own growth! For every entrepreneur or investor who manages to break through, ten more are priced out or burned out.
Now compare that to secondary cities like Ogbomoso, Ibadan, Ilorin, Aba, and Jos. Those places are often dismissed as “too small” or “not ready.”, but that’s exactly why they’re the next big bet.
I’ve lived this firsthand. When I started building in Ogbomoso, people thought it was insane. “Why not Lagos?” Well, I didn’t think Lagos needed another startup. Ogbomoso did. And what I’ve learned over the years is that these overlooked cities give you advantages the “hubs” cannot.
1. They Are Growing Faster, Strategically
The fastest urban growth rates across Africa are happening in intermediary cities of 100,000 to 1 million people. Places like Kisumu, Eldoret, and Mwanza are poised to absorb the wave of urban migration, while cities like Ogbomoso remain largely overlooked. Yet these are the places where you can build infrastructure, institutions, and tech-enabled ecosystems.
And they are growing really fast! (Read this and this, for instance).
2. They Don’t Have the Problems that Bigger Cities Do
Nigeria’s secondary cities are gateways for inclusive growth. Secondary agglomerations manage rural-urban migration better, provide services at a lower cost, and ease the burden on overcrowded capitals. In simpler words, secondary cities are cheaper, less crowded, and less competitive.
This isn’t just theory; we saw it happen live with what we built with Hastom Nigeria.
(Read this).
3. They Offer a Tactical Advantage
Look at Ibadan: annual economic growth hovering at 11%, with over a million MSMEs fueling both agri and ICT sectors. But without planning, even this promise is under threat. In secondary cities, you still control the narrative. You choose infrastructure, you build systems, you decide the pace.
4. Investment Trends Confirm It
Most investors still default to capital cities, but the tides are shifting. Kenya has committed to developing 70 secondary cities; Ethiopia is investing $35 million across 18 of them; Uganda is targeting four cities to exceed 1 million residents. These aren’t vanity projects but strategic moves to decentralise growth, reduce congestion, and build resilience.
(Look here).
Conclusion
By now, you get the point.
When I chose Ogbomoso for Hastom and Valor City, it was wide open. We had less competition and it cost less, so it was easier to build from that soil. In cities like this, you get to create systemic wealth with lesser hurdles to face. So the next time you get an idea, seriously consider implementing in that small city. It’s a goldmine, if you look hard enough.
