Nifas Silk-Lafto is a sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, covering 68.30 km² in the south-west of the capital. It counted 316,283 residents at the 2007 census, projected to 445,683 for 2022 by the Ethiopian Statistics Service. The name joins two older districts, Nifas Silk and Lafto, merged when the sub-city system was drawn up.
Nifas Silk-Lafto borders five sub-cities: Kolfe Keranio, Lideta, Kirkos, Bole and Akaky Kaliti.
Neighborhoods & Areas
- Gofa
- Haile Garment
- Hana
- Jemo 1
- Jemo 2
- Jemo 3
- Jemo Michael
- Lafto
- Lebu
- Lebu Mebrat Hail
- Mekanisa
- Mekanisa Abo
- Nifas Silk
- Repi
The Jemo sites, numbered 1 to 3, are among the largest condominium developments in Ethiopia, built from the mid-2000s under the government housing programme. Lebu and Lebu Mebrat Hail extend the same pattern further south. Mekanisa and Gofa are older residential districts closer to the Ring Road.
Districts
Nifas Silk-Lafto is divided into 15 woredas, numbered 1 to 15, according to the Addis Ababa Civil Registration and Residency Service Agency — the joint-highest count in the city, matching Bole and Kolfe Keranio. The sub-city administration office is around Haile Garment.
Landmarks & Institutions
Haile Garment takes its name from the garment factory that stood there and is now a busy commercial junction and taxi interchange. SOS Children’s Village Addis Ababa, one of the organisation’s oldest sites in Ethiopia, operates in the sub-city.
The Ring Road crosses Nifas Silk-Lafto and defines much of its road pattern; the stretch through Lafto and Gofa carries heavy freight between the western and southern industrial areas. The sub-city’s growth over the past two decades has come almost entirely from condominium construction on former farmland, which is why so many of its place names are site numbers rather than historic quarters.
Population
The 2007 census recorded 316,283 residents. The 2022 projection of 445,683 comes from the Ethiopian Statistics Service and is a projection, not a count — Ethiopia’s last national census was 2007. Density on the census figure is about 4,600 people per km², but it is concentrated: the condominium blocks at Jemo and Lebu hold far denser populations than the average suggests.
Amharic is the everyday language, with Oromo common near the southern and western boundaries with the Oromia region.
Getting Around
The light rail does not run into Nifas Silk-Lafto. Residents connect at Torhailoch, the Green Line’s western terminus in neighbouring Lideta, or along the Blue Line at Meskel Square and points south toward Kaliti.
Minibus taxis run along the Ring Road and the Jemo and Mekanisa roads, and Haile Garment is the main interchange. Bole International Airport is about 11 km east.
FAQ
Where is Nifas Silk-Lafto?
Nifas Silk-Lafto is the south-western sub-city of Addis Ababa, between Kolfe Keranio to the north and Akaky Kaliti to the south. It covers 68.30 km².
How many woredas does Nifas Silk-Lafto have?
Fifteen, numbered 1 to 15.
What is the population of Nifas Silk-Lafto?
316,283 at the 2007 census; 445,683 in the 2022 official projection.
What is Jemo?
Jemo is a group of large condominium housing sites, numbered 1 to 3, built in Nifas Silk-Lafto from the mid-2000s under the government housing programme.
Why is it called Nifas Silk-Lafto?
The sub-city merges two older districts, Nifas Silk and Lafto, and keeps both names.
Which sub-cities border Nifas Silk-Lafto?
Kolfe Keranio, Lideta, Kirkos, Bole and Akaky Kaliti.