Kogi State History

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Kogi State History 

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Kogi, is a state in the central region (Middle-Belt) of Nigeria. It is popularly called the Confluence State because of the confluence of River Niger and River Benue at its capital, Lokoja, which is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria.

Agriculture is the main part of the state economy with fishing in the riverine areas like Lokoja, Idah, Baji,etc., and the state also has coal, petroleum, steel and other mineral industries.

The main ethnic groups are Igala, Ebira, and Okun.

Geography

Kogi state is the only state in Nigeria which shares a boundary with ten other states.

Those are the Adjacent States shows below:

·         Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria) – to the north

·         Nasarawa State – to the north east

·         Benue State – to the east

·         Enugu State – to the south east

·         Anambra State – to the south

·         Edo State – to the south west

·         Ondo State – to the west

·         Ekiti State – to the west

·         Kwara State – to the west

·         Niger State – to the north

Also the two major rivers in Nigeria namely; River Niger and River Benue also meets in kogi state making it the confluence state.

History and people

The state was created in 1991 from parts of Kwara State and Benue State. The state as presently constituted, comprises the people of the Kabba Province of Northern Nigeria. One of the first Qadi in the Kogi State was Faruk Imam.

There are three main ethnic groups and languages in Kogi: Igala, Ebira, and Okun (a Yoruba Group) with other such as Bassa-Nge, a people of Nupe extraction in Lokoja and Bassa Local Government Area, Bassa-Komo of Bassa Local Government Area, Gwari, Kakanda, Oworo people(A Yoruba Group), Ogori, Magongo, Idoma and the pure NUPE people of Eggan community under Lokoja Local Government.

The name Nigeria, was coined in Lokoja by Flora Shaw, the future wife of Baron Lugard, a British colonial administrator, while gazing out at the river Niger .

Local government areas

Kogi State consists of twenty-one (21) local government areas. Which are:

·         Adavi

·         Ajaokuta

·         Ankpa

·         Bassa

·         Dekina

·         Ibaji

·         Idah

·         Igalamela-Odolu

·         Ijumu

·         Kabba/Bunu

·         Koton Karfe

·         Lokoja

·         Mopa-Muro

·         Ofu

·         Ogori/Magongo

·         Okehi

·         Okene

·         Olamaboro

·         Omala

·         Yagba East

·         Yagba West

Tourism

Tourist attractions in Kogi State include the colonial relics (such as Lord Lugard House), the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, Ogidi (An African town with formations of Igneous Rock mountains and a traditional art & craft industry) and natural land features hills and terrains that serve as hiking trails .

Being a 2-hour drive from Abuja some tourists come for day trips.

Transport and communications

Kogi State connects the Federal Capital Territory with 22 Southern States. Being in close proximity to the federal capital territory, Abuja International Airport serves as the national and international gateway for air travelers from and to the state. Good telecommunications services are available in the state.

Agriculture and resources

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. There are many Farm produce from the state notably coffee, cocoa, palm oil, cashews, groundnuts, maize, cassava, yam, rice and melon.

Mineral resources include coal, limestone, iron, petroleum and tin. The state is home to the largest iron and steel industry in Nigeria known as Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and one of the largest cement factories in Africa, the Obajana Cement Factory.

Education

Kogi state is home to the Federal University (Lokoja), Kogi State University Anyigba, Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State Polytechnic (Lokoja), Federal College of Education (Okene), College of Education (Ankpa), College of Agriculture Kabba, Kogi state college of education, technical (Kabba) and the Private Salem University, Lokoja. There are a college of nursing and midwifery in Anyigba and Obangede, School of health tech in Idah and ECWA School of Nursing in Egbe.

Sports

Kogi State has produced sprinters such as Sunday Bada and other sportsmen, who have contributed to the growth of sports worldwide. Kogi United and Babanawa F.C. are football teams based in the state. Other sports, such as swimming, handball, and table tennis are actively promoted in the state. The Kogi state Sports Council had a track record of Directors and great personnel team Who at one time or the other had worked with the vision of putting the State fully on the world map. Among them are personalities like Mr. Francis Umoru, Mr. Mohammed Emeje, Mr. Benjamin O. Ameje, Mr. A. Ogido, Mr. Joel J. Abu and others.

Among other sportsmen produce by the state is Shola Ameobi, an Ayetoro Gbede born Ijumu, English footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers as a striker, late Sunday Bada 400 Metres Olympic Champion from Ogidi in Ijumu Local Govt. of the state.

Senate

Three Senators have always represented Kogi state since the return of democracy in 1999 at Senate with Kogi East, Kogi West and Kogi Central producing one each.

Notable people

·         Governor Yahaya Bello Adoza

·         Halima Abubakar

·         Segun Adaju

·         S. A. Ajayi

·         Adeyemi

·         Joseph Benjamin

·         Darey - Darey Art Alade

·         Jaywon

·         Mercy Johnson

·         Dino Melaye

·         Praiz