Kogi State is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in the North Central region of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics 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 Nasarawa is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba State, Taraba and Plateau State, Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states ...

, to the northwest by

Niger State Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...

, to the southwest by the states of

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

and Ondo, to the southeast by the states of Anambra and

Enugu Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...

, and to the east by

Benue State Benue is a State in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria. It is popularly referred to as part of the Middle belt. It has an estimated population of about 4,253,641 in List of Nigerian states by population, the 2006 census. ...

. It is the only state in Nigeria to border ten other states. Named for the Hausa word for river, the state was formed from parts of

, and

Kwara State Kwara () is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger State, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin. Its ca ...

on 27 August 1991. The state is nicknamed the "Confluence State" as the confluence 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, Nige ...

and the River Benue occurs next to its capital,

Lokoja Lokoja is a north-central city in Nigeria. It lies at the confluence of the Niger River, Niger and Benue River, Benue list of rivers of Nigeria, rivers and is the capital city of Kogi State. While the Bassa Nge, Yoruba people, Yoruba Oworo peopl ...

. Of the 36

states of Nigeria Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, each of which is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares power with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of Nigeria, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In additi ...

, Kogi is the thirteenth largest in area and twentieth most populous with an estimated population of about 4.5 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is within the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

Guinean forest–savanna mosaic The Guinean forest-savanna, also known as the Guinean forest-savanna transition, is a distinctive ecological region located in West Africa. It stretches across several countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, B ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

. Important geographic features include the key rivers with the

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

flowing from the northwest and the Benue coming from the northeast before the two rivers meet in Kogi's center and bisect the state southward. Kogi State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, largely the Igala then others including the Ebira, Gbagyi, Nupe (mainly the Bassa Nge, Kakanda, and

Kupa The Kupa () or Kolpa ( or ; from in Roman Empire, Roman times; ) river, a right tributary of the Sava, forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia. It is long, with a length of serving as the border between Croati ...

subgroups), and

Oko OKO (, obsolete Russian word for eye, also an abbreviation for Ob'yedinonnyye Kristallom Osnovaniya (, literal meaning Foundations Bound by a Crystal)) is a complex of two skyscrapers located on plot 16 in the Moscow International Business Cen ...

in the state's centre; the Agatu, Basa-Komo, Idoma, Igala, and Igbo in the east; and the Yoruba (mainly the Okun, Ogori, Oworo, and Magongo subgroups) in the west. Kogi is also religiously diverse, with about equal percentages of

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

and

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

along with a substantial minority of adherents of traditional ethnic religions. 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 The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students. Us ...

annexed the kingdom and placed the area under the

Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...

while the eastern half of the modern state was the ancient Igala Kingdom. In the 1900s and 1910s, British expeditions occupied the area and incorporated them into the

Northern Nigeria Protectorate Northern Nigeria ( Hausa: ''Arewacin Najeriya'') was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914, and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned and included the emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate ...

with its capital as

until 1903. The protectorate later merged into

British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. British influen ...

before becoming independent as

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 North-Western State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Northern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into two states – Niger and Sokoto. The city of Sokoto ...

, 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

states along with Kwara. Western Benue State, southeastern Kwara State, and far southern Niger State were broken off to form the new Kogi State. Economically, Kogi State is largely based around

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, mainly of

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...

, groundnut, cocoa,

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Description Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can gro ...

, and yam crops. Other key industries are

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

extraction and the livestock herding of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the famil ...

, and

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

. Kogi has the ninth highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

and sixteenth highest

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...

in the country.

Geography

Climate

The

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

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 last sfrom November to March. The dry season is very dusty and cold as a result of the north-easterly winds, which bring in the

harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into th ...

. Between 2001 and 2014 ,the built-up area increased by 10.68% and seven (7) adaptation strategies were employed by farmers in changing planting dates and change crop variety at 31%, 22%, and 21% respectively ,in response to change in rainfall.

Flooding

In October 2022, Kogi State witnessed one of the worst flood disasters in the history of the state. This is according to the state governor,

Yahaya Bello Yahaya Adoza Bello (; born 18 June 1975) is a Nigerian businessman, politician. He served as the governor of Kogi State from 2016 to 2024. A member of the All Progressives Congress, Bello was the youngest governor in Nigeria throughout his term ...

, who said that "flooding has affected the nine LGAs which borders the Niger and Benue rivers to include, Lokoja, Kogi-Koto, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Igalamela-Odolu, Bassa, Idah, Ibaji and Omala".

2012 flooding

In 2012, floods ravaged the state of Kogi and others in Nigeria. A total of 623,690 displaced people were accommodated in 87 camps across the state during the period. Roads were unmotorable due to the flood. Many school buildings became refugee camps. Houses were submerged. Property and infrastructure was badly affected. Crops in farm fields were seriously damaged. The flood caused deaths, loss of property and destruction of farmland and produce estimated at N63.4 billion in nine local government areas of Kogi state.

Adjacent states

Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria) The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is a federal territory in central Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in t ...

– to the north for 17 km *

– to the northeast for 151 km *

– to the east for 153 km *

Enugu State Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...

– to the southeast for 112 km *

Anambra State Anambra () is a States of Nigeria, state in Nigeria. It is located in the South East (Nigeria), South-eastern region of the country. The state was created on 27 August 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State and Ri ...

– to the south for 40 km *

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

– to the south for 133 km and the southwest for 81 km across the Niger River *

Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

– to the west for 45 km *

Ekiti State Ekiti () is a state in southwestern Nigeria, bordered to the North by Kwara State for 61 km, to the Northeast by Kogi State for 92 km, to the South and Southeast by Ondo State, and to the West by Osun State for 84 km. Named for the Ekiti ...

– to the west for 92 km *

– to the west for 188 km *

– to the north for 135 km (mostly across the Niger River) Kogi State is the only state in Nigeria that shares a boundary with ten other states.

History and people

The state is famous for its productivity in business and agriculture, cultural diversity, hospitable citizens and beautiful landmarks. There are three main ethnic groups and languages in Kogi:

Igala people The Igala people are a ''West African'' ethnolinguistic group native to the region immediately south of the confluence of the Niger River, Niger and Benue River, Benue Rivers in Middle Belt, central Nigeria. The area inhabited primarily by the ...

, Anebira, and Okun, with others such as Bassa Nge of Bassa L.G.A,

and Kakanda speakers, who are a people of Nupe extraction under

L.G.A., Bassa which is also of Bassa, Lokoja and Koto

Local government areas 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, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

, Oworo people, Igbo, Ogori Magongo, and Idoma. The name ''

'', was coined in Lokoja by

Flora Shaw Flora Louise Shaw, Baroness Lugard (born 19 December 1852 – 25 January 1929), was a British journalist and writer. She is credited with having coined the name ''Nigeria''. Early life She was born at 2 Dundas Terrace, Woolwich, South London ...

in the hill of

Mount Patti The Mount Patti Hill is a 1503 foot-tall (458 m) mountain and tourist attraction in Lokoja, Nigeria. It is famous for being the place where British journalist and writer Flora Louise Shaw (later Flora Lugard) gave Nigeria its name. The name (N ...

, the future wife of Baron Lugard, a British colonial administrator, while gazing out at 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, Nige ...

. She,

is the daughter of an English father, Captain George Shaw, and a French mother, Marie Adrienne Josephine, a local of

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

(née Desfontaines; 1826–1871).

Languages

Kogi is a multi-ethnic state with over multiple indigenous languages spoken in the state. The main language is Igala then Ebira and ( Okun). Other common languages include Nupe, Kakanda,

, Bassa, Kupa, Bassa Nge, Hausa, Osayen. Ogori in Kogi central speak Oko language. The Okun language is spoken in the Kogi West Senatorial District and Igbo is spoken in Ibaji and Igalamela-Odolu local government areas of the state.

Religion

Kogi is religiously diverse with about 45% of the state's population are

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

with about 40% being

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

and the remaining 15% following traditional ethnic religions minorities. Sheikh Aminu Sha'aban was turbaned as the Imam of Lokoja in December 2019. The Ecclesiastical Province of Lokoja with the Anglican

Church of Nigeria The Church of Nigeria is the Anglicanism, Anglican Church body, church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest Province (Anglican), province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptised membership (not by attendance), after the Church of Englan ...

led by Archbishop Daniel Abubakar Yisa covers Kogi and

s and includes the six Dioceses of Ijumu (2008) led by Bishop Paul Olarewaju Ojo (2018),

Kabba Kabba is a town in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos. ...

(1996) led by Bishop Steven Kadoye Akobe (2010),

(1994) led by Bishop Emmanuel Egbunu (2004), Ogori-Magongo led by Bishop Festus Davies (2009), Okene (2008) led by Bishop Emmanuel Onsachi (2017) and Idah led by Bishop Joseph Musa (2005). The Catholic Church includes the Diocese of Idah (1968) with 56 parishes under Bishop Anthony Ademu Adaji (2009) and the Diocese of Lokoja (1955 as Kabba) with 43 parishes under Bishop Martin Dada Abejide Olorunmolu (2005), both

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

s of the Archdiocese of Abuja.

Local government areas

Kogi State consists of twenty-one local government areas. Which are: * Adavi * Ajaokuta * Ankpa * Bassa * Dekina * Ibaji * Idah * Igalamela-Odolu * Ijumu * Kabba/Bunu * Kogi *

* Mopa-Muro * Ofu * Ogori/Magongo * Okehi * Okene * Olamaboro * Omala * Yagba East * Yagba West

Tourism

Tourist attractions in Kogi State include; The Azad's palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, the colonial relics (such as

Lord Lugard Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard (22 January 1858 – 11 April 1945), known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator. He was Governor of Hong Kong (1907� ...

House),

, World War Cenotaph, the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, Ogidi (An African town with formations of

Igneous Rock Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial ...

mountains and a traditional art & craft industry) and natural land features hills and terrains that serve as hiking trails. 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. The state government plans and harnesses the high potentials of tourism including the development of historical landmarks at Lokoja.

Transport and communications

Kogi State connects the Federal Capital Territory with 22 Southern States. Federal Highways are: * A2 north from

Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

as the Benin Rd via Okene and

across the

Abuja-Lokoja Bridge to

Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...

as the Lokoja-Abuja-Dawliko Rd, * A123 west from A1 at

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...

via

to A2 in Okene, * A233 east from A2 near Lokoja via Gboloko and Anyigba to

as the Ankpa-Otukpa Rd. Other major roads include * the Pategi-Egbe Rd north from Egbe to

, * the Ilorin-Egbe-Lokoja Rd west from Egbe to

, * the Kusoti-Abugi Rd west to

, * Ankpa-Aukpa Rd east to

, * Ankpa-Adoka Rd southeast to

at Abakpa as the Ajeke-Epideru Rd, * southeast from Ejule to

, * Obolo-Idah Rd south to

, * the Ayingba-Ebiya Rd east from Okene across 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 Mali, Nige ...

by the 2,890 m Ajaokuta-Itobe Bridge (1985). The River Niger and Benue are both navigable waterways. 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 products from the state, including

, cocoa,

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...

s, groundnuts,

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

, yam,

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

and

melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...

. Mineral resources include

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

and

tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

. The state is home to the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, the largest iron and steel industry in Nigeria and the Obajana Cement Factory, one of the largest cement factories in Africa.

Education

Kogi state is home to the Federal University (Lokoja), Kogi State University Anyigba, Confluence University of Science and Technology Osara, 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, a School of health tech in Idah, and ECWA School of Nursing in Egbe.

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 Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

teams based in the state. Other sports, such as

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

, and

table tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

, are actively promoted in the state. Sportsmen from the state include Shola Ameobi who played football as a striker for

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

and for other

English Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

teams. Sunday Bada was a 400 metre sprinter who won three medals at the World Indoor Championships, including a gold medal in 1997, and won a gold medal with the Nigerian team in the 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2000 Olympics.

Politics

The State government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state's house of assembly. The capital city of the state is

Electoral system

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. If no candidate passes the threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.

Senate

Three senators have represented Kogi state since the return of democracy in 1999. The state is divided into three senatorial districts, with Kogi East, Kogi West and Kogi Central returning one senator each.

Notable people

* Alhaji Idris Alhassan Yusuf Tawari, the Agụma of Tawari, Nigeria. * Danladi Mohammed Zakari, first military administrator of Kogi State. * Halima Abubakar, Nollywood Actress. * Segun Adaju, entrepreneur, CEO of Consistent Energy Limited and President, of Renewable Energy Association Nigeria (REAN). * Pius Adesanmi, Nigerian-born Canadian professor, writer, literary critic, satirist, and columnist. * Smart Adeyemi, former senator representing Kogi West senatorial district. * Nasir Ajanah, former chief Judge of Kogi State. * S. A. Ajayi, Nigerian statesman who helped negotiate Nigeria's independence, former minister of forestry and former minister of education. * Nuhu Omeiza Yaqub - Professor of Political Science, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Abuja and founding VC of Sokoto State University. * Seth Sunday Ajayi, scientist, scholar, and first African Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Ecology. * Esther Titilayo Akinlabi, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Pan African University for Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), Nigeria. She was also the Head of Department, of Mechanical Engineering Science, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. * Shola Ameobi, former professional footballer who played as a striker. * Tolulope Arotile (1995–2020), Nigerian Air Force female helicopter pilot. * Sefi Atta, novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and screenwriter. * Abubakar Audu, first civilian and two-term governor of the state (1992–1993 and 1999–2003). *

, governor of Kogi State (2016–2024). * Sunday Karimi - Former House of Representative Member, Yagba Federal Constituency. Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District 2023 - Present * Joseph Benjamin, Actor. * Darey - Darey Art Alade. * Tunde Ednut - Blogger and Musician * Oladele John Nihi - Vice President West Africa Pan-African Youth Union 2021-present * Abiodun Faleke, business management/logistics consultant and politician. * Ibrahim Idris, former governor of the state (2003–2008; 2008–2012). * Jaywon, Musician. * Juwon Lawal Razaq, businessman and entrepreneur * David Jemibewon, retired Major-General who served as military governor of the now defunct Western State, and later as minister of police affairs in the cabinet of President

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo (; ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian former army general, politician and statesman who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 200 ...

. * Mercy Johnson, Nollywood Actress. * Joseph Makoju, former GM of NEPA. * Dino Melaye, former Senator from Kogi West. * Oladele John Nihi, former President, National Youth Council of Nigeria 2019–2020. Vice President West Africa, Pan-African Youth Union (2021–present). * John Obaro, technology entrepreneur, public speaker, and founder of SystemSpecs Nigeria Limited. * James Ocholi - Lawyer and former Nigerian Minister * Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi State since 2024. * Bayo Ojo, former attorney general of Nigeria. * Nike Davies-Okundaye, Nigerian batik and Adire textile designer. * Jide Omokore, prominent businessman with interests spanning oil trading/exploration, marine, haulage services, steel, dredging engineering, and property development. * Edward Onoja, chief of staff to Governor

(2016–2019), deputy governor of Kogi State (2019–2024) * Praiz, songwriter, Artiste. * Idris Wada, former governor of the state (2012–2016). *

Folashade Yemi-Esan Folashade Mejabi Yemi-Esan (née Mejabi; born 13 August 1964), is a Nigerian civil servant and the current head of the civil service of the federation, since 4 March 2020. She acted as head of the civil service from 18 September 2019 till her ...

, head of the civil service of the federation. * Natasha Akpoti, Nigerian Politician, activist and current serving senator representing Kogi central senotarial district (2023–present) * Professor Samuel Egwu, Nigeria Educationists, administrator,a one time Governance Adviser for the United Nations Development Programme in Nigeria and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Jos. He has published extensively on topics including the impact of structural adjustment programmes, agrarian change in rural communities and federalism. Currently serving in Benue State as Resident Electoral Commissioner with Independent National Electoral Commission.

References

External links

Website
{{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria States and territories established in 1991

Geography

Climate

Flooding

2012 flooding

Adjacent states

History and people

Languages

Religion

Local government areas

Tourism

Transport and communications

Agriculture and resources

Education

Sports

Politics

Electoral system

Senate

Notable people

See also

References

External links