Quick facts
Maiduguri overview
Maiduguri (orange) and the other large cities of Nigeria
Maiduguri lies in Borno State in Nigeria at 11.85°N, 13.16°E, about 325 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Lagos (UTC+1); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Aba (1,160,000) and larger than Ilorin (1,080,000). The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos with 15,388,000 people; the capital, Abuja, has 2,690,000.
The national capital, Abuja, is about 692 km away; the nearest large city is Bama, 68 km from Maiduguri.
Nigeria as a whole has a live population of 243,888,966 (+2% a year) and ranks #6 of 238 countries — see the Nigeria population page for the full statistics and the Nigeria atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Maiduguri
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Bama Borno State | 68 km | 118,121 |
| Mora Far North ·  Cameroon | 139 km | 61,523 |
| Diffa Diffa ·  Niger | 174 km | 54,082 |
| Mubi Adamawa | 176 km | 225,705 |
| Maroua Far North · Cameroon | 188 km | 314,122 |
Largest cities in Nigeria
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | Lagos | 15,388,000 |
| 2 | Kano | Kano State | 4,910,000 |
| 3 | Ibadan | Oyo State | 3,649,000 |
| 4 | AbujaCapital | FCT | 2,690,000 |
| 5 | Port Harcourt | Rivers State | 2,120,000 |
| 6 | Kaduna | Kaduna State | 1,850,000 |
| 7 | Benin City | Edo State | 1,782,000 |
| 8 | Onitsha | Anambra | 1,553,000 |
| 9 | Aba | Abia State | 1,160,000 |
| 10 | Maiduguri | Borno State | 1,110,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Maiduguri?
Maiduguri has about 1,110,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Maiduguri the capital of Nigeria?
No. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja (2,690,000 people), about 692 km away. Maiduguri is the 10th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Maiduguri compared with the rest of Nigeria?
Its 1,110,000 residents are 0.5% of the 243,888,966 people living in Nigeria today. Lagos is larger with 15,388,000 people.
Where is Maiduguri?
In Borno State, Nigeria, at latitude 11.85 and longitude 13.16, 325 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Bama (68 km), Mora (139 km), Diffa (174 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Maiduguri Population 2026 — Nigeria. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/maiduguri/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/maiduguri/">Maiduguri Population 2026 — Nigeria</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-21. More about our data.