Lokoja

Lokoja is the capital city of Kogi State, in central Nigeria, and is a port on Niger River.^[1]

History

Founded by William Balfour Baikie according to European historical records, although there have been indigenous people living in the area for thousands of years. Lokoja was the capital of British Northern Nigeria Protectorate and remained a convenient administrative town for the British colonial government after the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria Protectorates into one nation called Nigeria in 1914.^[2]

The first Governor General Lord Frederick Lugard ruled the new nation of Nigeria from Lokoja. The city has since grown to an estimated 90000 inhabitants. ^[3] It is a trade center for its agricultural region because it sits at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, and is close to the new federal capital of Nigeria in Abuja. Near Lokoja (in Ajaokuta) are metallurgy facilities and iron ore mines.

The LGA

Lokoja is also a Local Government Area of Kogi State with an area of 3180 km² and a population of 195,261 at the 2006 census. It is bounded by the Niger in the north and east upstream from the capital until the border with Kwara State, and includes the city of Lokoja. The postal code of the area is 260.^[4] It is home to the Kogi State Polytechnic.^[5]

Climate

References