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Where is Lingala widely used as a lingua franca?

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Thematic map of Africa showing the distribution of Niger-Congo language branches. Distinct colors represent language groups such as Atlantic, Mande, Gur, Kwa, Benue-Congo, and Bantu, with Bantu languages covering most of central, eastern, and southern Africa. A numbered key lists prominent languages in each area, and country borders are marked for reference. — Niger-Congo languages Map showing the branches and distribution of the Niger-Congo languages.

Lingala is widely used as a lingua franca in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it is recognized as one of the country's four major indigenous national languages.12

It serves as the primary vernacular and a symbol of urban culture in the capital city of Kinshasa, as well as in the capital of the Republic of the Congo, Brazzaville. Additionally, it is a dominant vernacular in urban centers across the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, excluding the Bas-Congo province and parts of the southern and eastern Bandundu province.1