Lokoja

Different ethnic groups lay claim to having named the city.

• The Yoruba (Oworo) phrase; Ilu Oke Oja ("The market town/settlement located on the hill").{{cite book |last1=Temple |first1=O. |title=Notes on the Tribes, Provinces, Emirates and States of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria |date=26 November 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-96938-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=350uAgAAQBAJ&dq=when+the+british+took+over+the+administration+of+the+country+in+1900,+the+headquarters+for+the+protectorate+were+established+at+lokoja,+Yoruba&pg=PA460 |access-date=5 August 2023 |language=en}}
• The Hausas believe the name comes from Loko Ja ("A red corner") and that the city was named by the emir of Zazzau.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}
• The Nupes believe the name comes from Patti Lukongi ("The hill of doves").{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

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 have settled in Lokoja were the Nupe groups from Gbara near Bida, They are believed to have settled in Mount Patti, which is the settlement of the earliest inhabitants of Lokoja. The Kupa and Kakandas are 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, Oworo people/Yoruba from Ile-Ife joined in later. This area eventually became a center of trade.{{Cite book|last=Obaro|first=Ikime|title=Grounded work of Nigerian History|publisher=Heinemann Educational Books|year=1980}}

File:River Niger at Lokoja.jpg

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.{{Cite web|title=Kogi State of Nigeria :: Nigeria Information & Guide|url=https://www.nigeriagalleria.com/Nigeria/States_Nigeria/Kogi/|access-date=2022-02-22|website=www.nigeriagalleria.com}}

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. 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 spheres of control: 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.

File:Lokoja-1911.jpg

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.{{cite web | url = http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria.htm#Northern%20Nigeria | title = WorldStatesmen.org | access-date = 2007-04-06}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://um.ase.ro/No13/10.pdf|title=No13.(PDF)}} 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.{{cite web

|url=http://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/news/other_states/11017212425.html

|work=Newsday

|title=Gov. Idris Okays N80m for Kogi Polytechnic-

|author=Idris Ahmed

|date=October 17, 2005

|access-date=2010-05-18

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304045456/http://news.biafranigeriaworld.com/archive/2004/dec/04/060.html

|archive-date=March 4, 2012

}} The population of Lokoja is estimated at more than 265,000 people, as at 2022.{{Cite web |title=Lokoja (Local Government Area, Nigeria) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/nigeria/admin/kogi/NGA023012__lokoja/ |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}

{{Weather box

|location = Lokoja (1991-2020)

|single line = Yes

|metric first = Yes

|Jan record high C = 41.2

|Feb record high C = 42.2

|Mar record high C = 41.5

|Apr record high C = 41.0

|May record high C = 38.3

|Jun record high C = 39.7

|Jul record high C = 37.2

|Aug record high C = 36.7

|Sep record high C = 37.2

|Oct record high C = 37.2

|Nov record high C = 38.0

|Dec record high C = 41.2

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 35.0

|Feb high C = 37.2

|Mar high C = 37.6

|Apr high C = 35.7

|May high C = 33.4

|Jun high C = 31.9

|Jul high C = 30.7

|Aug high C = 30.4

|Sep high C = 30.9

|Oct high C = 32.2

|Nov high C = 34.3

|Dec high C = 34.6

|year high C = 33.7

|Jan mean C = 27.6

|Feb mean C = 30.5

|Mar mean C = 31.8

|Apr mean C = 30.7

|May mean C = 29.1

|Jun mean C = 27.8

|Jul mean C = 27.1

|Aug mean C = 26.8

|Sep mean C = 27.0

|Oct mean C = 27.8

|Nov mean C = 28.3

|Dec mean C = 27.0

|year mean C = 28.5

|Jan low C = 20.3

|Feb low C = 23.9

|Mar low C = 26.1

|Apr low C = 25.7

|May low C = 24.7

|Jun low C = 23.8

|Jul low C = 23.4

|Aug low C = 23.3

|Sep low C = 23.2

|Oct low C = 23.4

|Nov low C = 22.3

|Dec low C = 19.5

|year low C = 23.3

|Jan record low C = 6.1

|Feb record low C = 12.8

|Mar record low C = 11.1

|Apr record low C = 16.1

|May record low C = 15.0

|Jun record low C = 12.8

|Jul record low C = 17.2

|Aug record low C = 17.2

|Sep record low C = 14.4

|Oct record low C = 15.6

|Nov record low C = 14.0

|Dec record low C = 10.6

|year record low C = 6.1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 1.4

|Feb precipitation mm = 11.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 21.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 112.4

|May precipitation mm = 172.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 165.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 194.3

|Aug precipitation mm = 206.6

|Sep precipitation mm = 225.9

|Oct precipitation mm = 137.5

|Nov precipitation mm = 2.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 0.0

|year precipitation mm = 1252.1

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 0.1

|Feb precipitation days = 0.4

|Mar precipitation days = 1.1

|Apr precipitation days = 5.9

|May precipitation days = 8.3

|Jun precipitation days = 9.8

|Jul precipitation days = 11.6

|Aug precipitation days = 12.7

|Sep precipitation days = 13.2

|Oct precipitation days = 8.6

|Nov precipitation days = 0.6

|Dec precipitation days = 0.0

|year precipitation days = 72.4

|Jan humidity = 51.8

|Feb humidity = 54.3

|Mar humidity = 62.9

|Apr humidity = 71.4

|May humidity = 78.5

|Jun humidity = 82.3

|Jul humidity = 84.5

|Aug humidity = 85.1

|Sep humidity = 85.7

|Oct humidity = 83.7

|Nov humidity = 71.2

|Dec humidity = 57.7

|year humidity = 72.4

|Jan sun = 229.4

|Feb sun = 237.3

|Mar sun = 226.3

|Apr sun = 198.0

|May sun = 217.0

|Jun sun = 192.0

|Jul sun = 164.3

|Aug sun = 124.0

|Sep sun = 147.0

|Oct sun = 210.8

|Nov sun = 252.0

|Dec sun = 257.3

|year sun =

|Jand sun = 7.4

|Febd sun = 8.4

|Mard sun = 7.3

|Aprd sun = 6.6

|Mayd sun = 7.0

|Jund sun = 6.4

|Juld sun = 5.3

|Augd sun = 4.0

|Sepd sun = 4.9

|Octd sun = 6.8

|Novd sun = 8.4

|Decd sun = 8.3

|yeard sun = 6.7

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Nigeria/CSV/Lokoja_65243.csv

| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 |format=CSV | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = 2 August 2023}}

|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun 1956-1970)

{{cite web

| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_652430_kt.pdf

| title = Klimatafel von Lokoja / Nigeria

| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world

| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst

| language = de

| access-date = 12 October 2016}}

}}

File:Lokoja vegetation.jpg

File:Rain forests of lokoja.jpg

Lokoja lies about 7.8023° North of the equator and 6.7333° E east of the Meridian.{{Cite web |title=.:: Lokoja at a Glance {{!}} Federal University Lokoja |url=https://www.fulokoja.edu.ng/about-us.php?i=lokoja-at-a-glance |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=www.fulokoja.edu.ng}} 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.{{Cite journal |title=Lokoja Metropolis |url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Lokoja-Metropolis-Source-Adapted-from-Love-2016-The-climate-of-Lokoja-has-been_fig1_332514220#:~:text=It%20is%20characterized%20by%20wet,60%25%20during%20the%20rainy%20season |journal=ResearchGate}}

Given the multi-ethnic nature of the town, there are various festivals, events and socio-cultural activities depending on the people's group. Thus, no particular group's festivals or their socio-cultural activities can be said to be the most prominent. For instance, the Agbo masquerade festival is celebrated by the Oworo people between the months of March and April every year. Other Okuns also celebrate the Oro / Egungun festival while generally, the fishermen in Lokoja celebrate the Donkwo fishing festival and this also comes up in March/April. It is also worthy to mention that editions of Lokoja boat regatta are held, albeit not regularly.

File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Egungun masquerade dance garment.jpg

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.

File:Morning sojourn at the market place.jpg

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.

{{Reflist}}

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{{LGAs and communities of Kogi State}}

{{Cities in Nigeria}}

{{Niger River}}

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Category:State capitals in Nigeria

Category:Benue River

Category:Communities on the Niger River

Category:Local Government Areas in Kogi State

Category:1857 establishments in Africa

Category:Populated places established in 1857