Kogi State is located in the North Central region of Nigeria. Kogi State is the thirteenth largest in area and twentieth most populous of the 36 states of Nigeria. As of 2016, the estimated population was about 4.5 million.
Map of Kogi State, Nigeria, with Local Government Areas
Geography and Location
Geographically, the state is within the tropical Guinean forest-savanna mosaic ecoregion. Kogi is the only state in Nigeria to border ten other states. It is bordered to the west by Ekiti and Kwara States, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, and to the northwest by Niger State.
Additionally, it shares borders to the southwest with Edo and Ondo States, to the southeast with Anambra and Enugu States, and to the east with Benue State.
Historical Context
Kogi State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups. In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Kogi State was split up between various states with some states being tiny and village-based as others were part of larger empires like the Nupe Kingdom which held much of now-western Kogi State until the early 1800s when the Fulani jihad annexed the kingdom and placed the area under the Sokoto Caliphate while the eastern half of the modern state was the ancient Igala Kingdom.
Read also: Local State Farm Agent: Chad Winn
In the 1900s and 1910s, British expeditions occupied the area and incorporated them into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate with its capital as Lokoja until 1903. The protectorate later merged into British Nigeria before becoming independent as Nigeria in 1960.
Originally, modern-day Kogi State was a part of the post-independence Northern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the North-Western State, Kwara State, and Benue-Plateau State. After Benue-Plateau and the North-Western states were split in 1976, now-Kogi became a part of the new Benue and Niger states along with Kwara.
Ethnic Groups and Languages
Kogi is a multi-ethnic state with over multiple indigenous languages spoken in the state. The main language is Ebira Igala then and (Okun).
The state is inhabited by various ethnic groups:
- Ebira, Gbagyi, Nupe (mainly the Bassa Nge, Kakanda, and Kupa subgroups), and Oko in the state's centre
- Agatu, Basa-Komo, Idoma, Igala, and Igbo in the east
- Yoruba (mainly the Okun, Ogori, Oworo, and Magongo subgroups) in the west
Ancient Igala kingdom in Present day Kogi State, Nigeria.
Local Government Areas
Kogi State consists of twenty-one local government areas.
Read also: Causes and Effects of Kenya's Emergency
Economy and Resources
Economically, Kogi State is largely based around agriculture, mainly of coffee, cashew, groundnut, cocoa, oil palm, and yam crops. Mineral resources include coal, limestone, iron, petroleum and tin. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.
Climate
The climate of the state has an annual rainfall total of between 1,100mm and 1,300mm. The rainy season lasts from April to October each year while the dry season lasts from November to March.
Flooding
In October 2022, Kogi State witnessed one of the worst flood disasters in the history of the state. In 2012, floods ravaged the state of Kogi and others in Nigeria. Roads were unmotorable due to the flood. Houses were submerged. Property and infrastructure was badly affected. A total of 623,690 displaced people were accommodated in 87 camps across the state during the period. Many school buildings became refugee camps.
Tourism
Some tourists visit on day trips from Abuja, which is a two-hour drive away. Kogi State Tourism and Hotels Company Limited was established to promote tourism in the state. 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.
Educational Institutions
Kogi state is home to numerous higher education institutions:
Read also: Unity and Development in Delta State
- Federal University (Lokoja)
- Kogi State University (Anyigba)
- Confluence University of Science and Technology (Osara)
- Kogi State University (Kabba)
- 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)
- Private Salem University (Lokoja)
Sports
Kogi State has produced sprinters 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. Sportsmen from the state include Shola Ameobi who played football as a striker for Newcastle United and for other English Premier League teams.
Government and Politics
The State government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state's house of assembly. The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -thirds of the State's and local government Areas. Three senators have represented Kogi state since the return of democracy in 1999.
Location of Kogi State within Nigeria
Popular articles:
tags: #Nigeria
