Idah is a town in

Kogi State Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to t ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, on the eastern bank of the

Niger River The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mal ...

in the middle belt region of

. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a

Local Government Area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

with an area of 36 km. Idah had a population of 79,815 at the 2006 census.

History

The town is the traditional capital of the Igala Kingdom, whose traditional ruler, the Attah Igala, is currently Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa II. Idah is an important fishing port and Market trading town in Nigeria with an outpost of the Nigeria Navy referred to as Nigeria Navy Ship Lugard. The town as a port of trade was frequented by local and foreign traders who traded agricultural produces and minerals mostly. Bronze rings and Cowries were the predominant currency for trade.

Geography

Idah, an old river port, lies on the eastern bank of the

river Niger The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, ...

at .

Economy

The town is a major food supplier of Kogi State. It has commercial routes on the river Niger linking

Lokoja Lokoja is a city in Nigeria. It lies at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers and is the capital city of Kogi State. While the Yoruba (Oworo), Bassa Nge and Nupe are indigenous to the area, other ethnic groups of Nigeria, including th ...

, the Kogi state capital; to the north of the country and

Onitsha Onitsha ( or just ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. A metropolitan city, Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. I ...

Anambra state Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi St ...

) to the south, Agenebode

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controvers ...

across the Niger to the west. Its population is primarily Igala. The current executive chairman of the local government is Hon Abuh Odoma

Education

Idah hosts a federal polytechnic. It hosts also the college of science, health and Technology.

Climate

The rainy season in Idah is uncomfortable and cloudy, the dry season is moist and slightly cloudy and often hot throughout the year. The temperature over the course of the year usually varies from 66°F to 92°F and is hardly below 60°F or above 97°F

References

Local Government Areas in Kogi State {{Kogi-geo-stub