Lokoja

LGA and city
250px
Nickname(s):
Coordinates:
Country	Nigeria
State	Kogi State
Area	Éwn malábó:Infobox settlement/impus
Population  (2020)
• Total	692,050
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Climate	Aw
Éwn malábó:Infobox mapframe

Lokoja chí efewo kídí north-central kí defu Nigeria. lokoja dí ugbo kí àjí Niger kpàí àjí Benue wà kojí de.Owu lé nyànwó chí ugwètà Kogi State. àlukí àmí Yoruba (Oworo), Bassa Nge kpàí Nupe chí àmí ewo kumà ché méru ómólé lé, í nyànwó che nàmí íbo ojàné ojojí kumà méru ómógé, Odu ichékíbó àmojané lé chí Kupa-Nupe, Hausa, Ebira, Igala, Igbo, Bini/Edo, kpàí Tiv àmí efewo lé gbà àbàjónyi re nàgbàdà tà gunu kumà dé kwu bí le. Lokoja chí ojàné ékétà kí defu àmí efewo kí dómó ànugbógbà kpài enàgbàdà kí dojà né Africaàdíko àgbàde 2020 kpàí 2025, ónà kunànà wu lé dé chí 5.93% . Àmí énéfu égbà àdíko 1917 mà ché kó tàné kàkíní Lokoja chí efewo kéké kí ché méru efewo lí lé íche. Elé chéjé wà mà kàkíní Lokoja chefewo kí chédómó kwí gbele íche.

Etymology

Àmí íbo íchí ojojí dómó à kàkíní àmà dodu efewo léwn.

• Íché kó tà né kàkí ní odu efewo lé kwu ugbo amí Íyàjí (Oworo) màdównki; Ilu Oke Oja ("efewo àjà /edodo ugbo kí dojí àtégwú").
• Àmí Àkechí nwó kédóno kàkí odulé chí efu odu ki dé íkwo Loko Ja ("Íbà ugbo kpíkpà") mé ní odu lé chí emir àbo Zazzau own duwn
• Àmí àbo Nupe nwó kédóno kàkí odulé chí efu odu kídé í kwo Patti Lukongi ("Àtégwu àmí íkede").^{[citation needed]}

History

The area that would become Lokoja has been inhabited for hundreds of years by people from different ethnic groups prior to the arrival of Europeans. The migrations of these groups to the area could be in part accounted for by its nearness to the banks of the Niger and Benue rivers. Some of the first groups of people to settle in Lokoja were the Oworo people/Yoruba from Ile-Ife. Nupe groups like the Kupa and Kakandas said to have migrated downstream the Niger from the town of Baro and other parts of present-day Niger State to the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers joined in later. This area eventually became a center of trade.

River Niger at Lokoja

The Nupe and Zazzau emirs historically appointed the Hausas as political leaders, while the Nupe filled the position of religious leader as chief imam of Lokoja. Lokoja was ruled by the following Maigari of Lokoja (Hamza, Dauda, Musa, Muhammadu Maikarfi). The British then installed a Muslim convert called Bukar (originally named Abigel), who designated his residence at Yaragi Madabo Junction of Lokoja as the new Lokoja palace. In time, the position fell to Alhaji Yahaya Muhammadu Maikarfi, and after his demise, Alhaji Kabiru, his son, succeeded him. The people sustained themselves by engaging in farming and hunting activities at Agbaja hill. Lokoja has an abundance of hills which were popular for hunting. At Mount Patti ("Patti" being the Nupe word for hill), there is a tree where the names of hunters were recorded in Ajami and Latin script. When Dr William Balfour Baikie arrived at Lokoja first in 1854 and later in 1857, he played a role in encouraging the outward movement of the people from their hilly settlements. He did this by influencing Muhammadu Maikarfi, then the Maigari of Lokoja. Muhammudu Maikarfi was then succeeded by Abigel (who converted to Islam and was renamed Bukar), who was widely seen as a stooge of the British.

The Bassa-Nges believe that they settled at the foot of Mount Patti when they came into Lokoja, before later moving again and migrating to settle across the Benue, just to the north of the Igalas. Whatever the case may be, it is difficult to categorically state in what order any or each of these groups came after the Oworos to settle in Lokoja town. These different groups lived in different quarters of the town but were closely related socio-politically. They interacted freely and tolerated one another. Present day Lokoja is ruled by the Maigari (chief) of Lokoja, and his 12 Hakimi (Sub chiefs). It is important to note however, that each group have their own local criteria: for example, the Maigari has no jurisdiction over the Olu of Oworo (whose traditional jurisdiction begins from Felele), but he does have authority over Ganaja, Kwakware, Sarkin Numa, Adankolo, ward A to ward E and other villages of Lokoja urban.

Lokoja town in 1911

The present modern settlement at Lokoja was established in 1857 by the British explorer William Baikie at the site of an earlier model farm constructed during the failed Niger expedition of 1841. Lokoja was the capital of the British Northern Nigeria Protectorate and the chief of Lokoja at that time was Alhaji Muhammadu Maikarfi. Lokoja remained a convenient administrative town for the British colonial government after the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914. The first Governor-General, Sir Frederick Lugard, governed the new nation of Nigeria from Lokoja. Other subsequent settlers into the city include the Yoruba (mainstream), the Igala, the Ebira (Ebira Tao and Igbira Koto), and the Bassa-Nge people. However, there are other groups apart from the ones mentioned above but they are classified as temporary visitors and non indigenous. These include the Igbo, Tiv, Edo, etc.

The city's population has since grown to an estimated count of over 90,000 inhabitants. It is a trade center with respect to its agricultural products; this is because it is situated at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, and is close to the federal capital of Nigeria in Abuja. It is also home to Kogi State Polytechnic and the newly established Federal University Lokoja. The population of Lokoja is estimated at more than 265,000 people, as at 2022.

Geography

Lokoja vegetation

Grasses and trees in Lokoja

Lokoja lies about 7.8023° North of the equator and 6.7333° E east of the Meridian. It is about 165 km southwest of Abuja as the crow flies, and 390 km Northeast of Lagos by same measure. Residential districts are of varying density, and the city has various suburbs such as Felele, Adankolo, Otokiti and Ganaja. The town is situated in the tropical Wet and Dry savanna climate zone of Nigeria, and temperatures remain hot year-round. Rain begins in May and typically ends in October. Lokoja has a maximum temperature of about 37.9°C between December and April, average annual rainfall of about 1000mm and average relative humidity of about 60% during the rainy season.

Religion and culture

Àlu kí chí àmíbo íchí ojojí defu ewo Lokoja lé, éwnlé jé íchéógwu kpàí àméwn kumà che ómó chó gwókó todu àmíchí ojojí kumà dodo ojànéwn. Égbàdu màneke chí àyàchị ucholo. Elé dówó íchéwn kí íko eyí énéné jó. Àgunu kí dà béléyí éneke kàkíní ícholo-ógwu eyí àmí íbo ekídé tógbàwñ àmí íbokídéyíwñ. Àgunu ku màkàyíke, íyàchí kpàí uyó àmí egwu Agbo chí àmí ibo Oworo àmà cheléyí àdíko àlímejí ochu ékétà kpàí ochu ékélé ódó du. Àmí íbo omuné kumàdómàkí "Okuns" mà nwó chí íyàchí kumà dókí Oro / Egungun. Ànubí elégé, óchàkàdu àmàkpéjà ku mà defewo lokoja ànwó chí yàchí kumà dókàkíní "íyàchí gbàkíní ícholo éjà-ekpà Donkwo. íyàchílé yà che ochu étà/élé. Íyànwó che dukpé kà nwó kólà lugbo íyàchí ókó-ejuomí eyí Lokoja kumà che, àmà ke íchégbà duwñ.

Egungun masquerade dance garment

Religiously, Islam, Christianity and traditional religion exist in Lokoja. The Muslims go to their mosques for their worship while the Christians do the same in their various churches. Religious festivals include the Muslim Eids and the Christian Christmas and Easter.

Markets

Market place in Lokoja

Lokoja has three major markets: New Market (International Market), Old Market and Kpata Market. Kpata Market and New Market have their market day every Five Days. The essential products sold in these markets are grains, vegetables and general household items.

External links

• Éwn malábó:Wikivoyage-inline