Nairobi ranked among Africa's five cities to watch for long-term growth

Nairobi has been named among Africa’s five cities to watch over the next 25 years, with Oxford Economics projecting strong growth in the capital’s technology, financial and industrial sectors.

The Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC) welcomed the ranking in the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, which places Nairobi 327th among 1,000 cities globally and 26th in human capital.

Nairobi joins Accra, Cairo, Dakar and Luanda on the list of African cities identified for their long-term growth potential. Oxford Economics projects that the five cities will collectively account for about one-third of the GDP growth generated by African cities included in the index over the next 25 years.

The report describes Nairobi as East Africa’s commercial anchor and a gateway to the expanding East African Community market.

More than three-quarters of Kenya’s financial activity is concentrated in Nairobi, while the city’s technology workforce, digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystem have strengthened its position as a regional technology and financial hub.

Source: Citizen Digital