Kano vs Lubumbashi

Kano and Lubumbashi are level on the CIRA Index at 40. Kano grades better on 5 measures, Lubumbashi on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Kano 40, Lubumbashi 40
• OECD: Kano 39, Lubumbashi 46
• UN Tourism: Kano 41, Lubumbashi 42
• UNDRR: Kano 37, Lubumbashi 38

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Kano 50, Lubumbashi 50
• Economy and jobs: Kano 50, Lubumbashi 50
• Climate and hazards: Kano 25, Lubumbashi 67
• Water and environment: Kano 38, Lubumbashi 38
• Community and housing: Kano 25, Lubumbashi –
• Access and continuity: Kano 33, Lubumbashi 21

Where Kano is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 63.9 % average annual occupancy (country figure) (CoStar / Staynaija Hospitality Trends Report, January 2024). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 204.4 kg per resident per year (ResearchGate / An Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria, 2025). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria / Nigerian Railway Corporation / Federal Ministry of Works, 2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) / Daily Post Nigeria, 2026). Grade 3/4.
• Travel advisory: 3 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Between 2.5 and 3: grade 1/4.

Where Lubumbashi is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 4.4 % of the labour force (country figure) (ILO / TheGlobalEconomy.com, Democratic Republic of the Congo Unemployment rate, 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 1 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 8 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Actualite.cd / Ministère du Tourisme RDC, 2024). Grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Nigeria: #104 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Kano in full · Lubumbashi in full

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