Nigeria leads African countries responsible for half of the world's population boom

Africa is expected to be responsible for half of the worlds population growth over the next two decades, according to a United Nations report.

As already reported, Nigeria is set to jump from seventh and become the third most populated country in the world by 2050.

According to The World Population Prospects 2017 report, a few other African nations will also experience a population boom that will account for half of the world's population growth in the time it is expected to grow to 9.8 billion.

The other four major countries expected to contribute to this growth are: The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda.

A common influential factor in the expected growth of these nations is high fertility rates.

With an annual population growth of about 2.7% between 2010 and 2015, Nigeria is expected to grow from its current estimated population of 180 million to 300 million by the year 2050.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, with an annual population growth of 3.2%, is expected to grow from an estimated 79 million to 214 million. The country had a fertility rate of 4.53 births per woman in 2016 alone.

Ethiopia experienced an annual population growth of 2.5% between 2010 and 2015, and the country's population is expected to soar to 168.6 million from its current estimated 101 million.

Tanzania is also expected to contribute to the world's population boom as the East African country is predicted to grow from an estimated 54 million to 134.8 million.

Coupled with the high fertility rate factor, cases of early motherhood and falling mortality rates are expected to blow up the country's population figures.

The country had an annual population growth of 3.2% between 2010 and 2015.

Another East African country, Uganda, with one of the fastest growing populations in the world with a population growth of 3.3% between 2010 and 2015, is expected to grow from its current estimated population of 36 million to 101.5 million in 2050.

The country has the fifth highest fertility rate in the world, posting an average of 5.8 births per woman in 2016.

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Whatever these figures might represent, there are growing concerns about the continent's capacity to adequately cater to its teeming population as it is dogged by economic and political crises.

Uganda, for instance, despite its prospects of a future workforce and a growing gross domestic product (GDP) possesses very limited infrastructure.

Nigeria is home to four of the world's fastest-growing cities, but its economic reality is hardly beneficial to the average citizen, and it is currently going through a recession.