Africa's 21st century will primarily be defined by two emerging metroplexes. The densest part of West Africa stretching from Abidjan - Accra - Lagos that incorporates 100 - 200+ million, and the African Great Lakes complex that goes Nairobi - Kigali - Goma - Kampala. /1
BOSWASH in the US is often held up as the perfect example of an urban complex, stretching from Boston to DC over 900 km, a continuous link of settlements, cities, and infrastructure. Abidjan to Lagos is just a 1,050 KM distance but underserved by infrastructure. /2 
What's even crazier is that the massive pace of settlements clearly includes the entire Nigerian coastline into Cameroon, meaning that the emerging metroplex could really be inevitably seen as Abidjan - Douala, a 2,000 KM+ monster of a metroplex. /3
The distance from Nairobi to Goma is merely 1,200 KM, but you can clearly see a growing densification in the region that envelops all four corners of the Great Lakes. This is why the DRC is being admitted into the EAC, it only makes sense. /4
Currently both of these metroplexes are underserved from an integration perspective, integration would lead to a free flow of human, monetary, and industrial capital that would create a self-enriching feedback loop. /5
If Africa is to get rich, these two metroplexes must be the redefined core of the continent. If somehow by 2050 both of these regions are still underserved by infrastructure + trade, then this continent is largely going nowhere. /6
And here's a close look at BOSWASH, for reference, the quintessential urban metroplex. /7
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