History Of Kogi State And Its Past Governors From 1991-Present

Kogi State, one of Nigeria’s 36 states situated in the North Central geopolitical zone, earned the nickname “The Confluence State” upon its establishment on August 27, 1991.

Its nickname is attributed to the confluence of the River Niger and River Benue at its capital, Lokoja.

It is necessary to emphasize that Lokoja is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria. With a population exceeding 4 million inhabitants, Kogi State is currently governed by Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress.

Agriculture is a major part of Kogi’s economy with fishing in the riverine areas like the capital of the State. It is also blessed with the likes of coal, petroleum, steel and others.

The major ethnic groups in Kogi State are Igala, Ebira, and Okun.

Geography

The state is unique as it shares boundaries with ten other states in the country. It neighbors the Federal Capital Territory to the north, Nasarawa State to the northeast, Benue State to the east, Enugu State to the southeast, Anambra State to the south, Edo State to the southwest, Ondo State to the west, Ekiti State to the west, Kwara State to the west, and Niger State to the north.

History And People

Kogi State was carved out from parts of Kwara State and Benue State. It currently comprises the people of the Kabba Province of Northern Nigeria.

Although there are various ethnic groups in the State, the major ones are:

Igala
Ebira
Okun (a Yoruba Group)

Kogi State no doubt is an important one as far as Nigeria is concerned. Quite important that the name the country bears was coined in Lokoja by Flora Shaw.

Local Government Areas in Kogi State

There are 21 local government areas in the State, and they 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

There are various exciting places to see in Kogi State, such as:

Lord Lugard House
Confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue
Ogidi (An African town with formations of Igneous Rock mountains and a traditional art & craft industry)

Transport And Communications

The State links the FCT with over 20 Southern States. The Abuja International Airport serves as the national and international gateway for air travelers from and to Kogi.

Agriculture And Resources

There are a lot of farmers in Kogi State and they produce crops like coffee, cocoa, palm oil, cashews, groundnuts, maize, cassava, yam, rice and melon.

Kogi State also has mineral resources such as coal, limestone, iron, petroleum and tin. Kogi is home to the largest iron and steel industry in the country – Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.