( Log Out /  Au XXe siècle, le premier gouverneur général britannique, Sir Frederick Lugard, gouverne les deux protectorats nord et sud du Nigeria depuis Lokoja . The steel revolution may yet still happen as the Nigerian Government have recently talked about bringing the steel mill and other government industries back to life. ( Log Out /  as the first Rector. During the colonial era, a number of Northern feudal lords who vehemently opposed colonial rule and domination of their territories by the European imperialists were banished to Lokoja as punishment by the Colonialists. 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. The area that would become Lokoja has been inhabited for thousands of years by people from different ethnic groups prior to the arrival of Europeans. After the amalgamation of Southern and Northern protectorate in 1914, the new Governor General, Lord Lugard ruled Nigeria from Lokoja. February 21, 1955: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Kabba from the Diocese of Benin City, Diocese of Kaduna and Apostolic Prefecture of Oturkpo; July 6, 1964: Promoted as Diocese of Kabba; May 5, 1965: Renamed as Diocese of Lokoja History of Parish. It is bounded by the Niger in the north and east upstream from the capital until the border with Kwara State, and includes the city of Lokoja. Around the same spot, he erected the first primary school in Northern Nigeria for all Nigerians who wanted to seek freedom from ignorance. 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, but he does have authority over Ganaja, Kwakware, Sarkin Numa, Adankolo, ward A to ward E and other villages of the Lokoja Holland that is the Salkawa people. Besides all these, historical relics such as the Lugard House, the first primary school in northern Nigeria, the first cantonment church, the first hospital in northern Nigeria, iron of liberty, graveyards of the deposed emirs and Europeans commentaries are major tourism potentials which continue to attract people from all works of life to the town. Olayemi Akinwumi, a Professor of African history and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Lokoja. The state capital, Lokoja is an ancient historical town which once served as the colonial administrative headquarters of Nigeria. pop. Lokoja is the trade and distribution center for an agricultural (chiefly cotton) region and has food-processing industries. Lokoja lies about 7.8023° North of the equator and 6.7333° E east of the Meridian. A Brief Geography and History of Lokoja Lokoja is the only city and State capital in Nigeria that is squarely situated at a confluence of West Africa’s major rivers, the Rivers Niger and Benue, where both rivers merge and flow southwards into the Atlantic Ocean. The minister said this in a … Lokoja on the other hand also saddles some strategic roads to at least, five geo political zones out of the six geo political zones in Nigeria. Lokoja is a city in Nigeria , It lies at the confluence of the Niger rivers and Benue rivers and is the capital of Kogi State . In 1885 and 1886 two of the priests died, though the mission of Lokoja could not be abandoned for it was in the heart of the country. It is located on the intersecting point of longitude 70 49’N and latitude 60 44’E on the map of Nigeria. May 5, 1965: Renamed as Diocese of Lokoja. Lokoja was also the trade distribution centre for an agricultural (chiefly cotton) region and has food processing industries. While the advent of the Catholic Faith in the Catholic Diocese of Lokoja is usually dated to the opening of a new mission in Lokoja in 1884; The birth of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, which we now call Lokoja Diocese must be dated back to 1955, when Kabba Prefecture was created, and later became Lokoja … Even the Patti word is a Nupe word meaning hill, Mount Patti hill and other surrounding hills are hunting area of the Lokoja people, at Mount Patti there is aged three that most of the former hunters write their name in Ajami and the Latin script, that will make you observe that there is no settlement at Mount Patti. These claim and counterclaim is said to have affected the development of the town since Nigeria's independence. They interacted freely and tolerated one another. 5 hours ago, NPP conceded defeat in 2008 election for prioritising sancti... Lokoja remained a convenient administrative town for the British colonial government after the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914. These forerunners of the Nigeria style of open and distance learning have their graves in Lokoja and should constitute an interesting tourist attraction. 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. Iron ore deposits serve the nearby Ajaokuta mill. [2] The Ebira , Bassa Nge , Nupe , Igala are indigenous to the area, other ethnic groups of Nigeria , including the Igbo , Bini / Edo , and Tiv , have recently established themselves. Notable among the deposed Emirs who perfected the traditional form of distance learning included the Late Emir of Bida, Mallam Mohammed Baashir, deposed in 1901, the late Emir of Zaria, Mallam Aliyu Dansidi and the late emir of Kano, Mallam Aliyu Abdullahi deposed in 1903. Lokoja, town and river port, capital of Kogi state, south-central Nigeria, located on the west bank of the Niger River opposite the mouth of the Benue River. It opened up the city to all Nigerians and allowed all and sundry to draw from the fountain of the Niger … ( Log Out /  The third and also significant place of Lokoja was the crucial role it served as a practice ground for distance education by many Northern Nigerian Emirs in the 1800's. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Below are the list of high-quality courses on offer at the Federal University, Lokoja. The kingdom was founded by the Igala, with its capital at Idah. colonialist, confluence, florence lugard, history, lakwaja, lokoja, lord lugard, nigeria, river niger and benue. Modern Ghana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article. While the advent of the Catholic Faith in the Catholic Diocese of Lokoja is usually dated to the opening of a new mission in Lokoja in 1884; The birth of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, which we now call Lokoja Diocese must be dated back to 1955, when Kabba Prefecture was created, and later became Lokoja … Although, Lokoja is a major historical trading city, but it is not as relevant as it used to be now. Recommended Links: FULOKOJA Cut Off Marks. When Dr William Balfour Baikie arrived at Lokoja first in 1854 and later in 1857, through his efforts and encouragements, the people descended from Lokoja. He did this through Muhammadu Maikarfi, then the Maigari of Lokoja, in which after he demise the white men use their power and give it to their servant by the Abigel Which was converted to Islam and name him as Bukar, mean Abubakar in Kanuri tun. Lokoja is a city in Nigeria. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. British merchants established a trading post at the Benue-Niger confluence in the late 1850s, and in 1860 the Scottish explorer William Balfour Baikie founded Lokoja. The author has 57 publications published on Modern Ghana.Column: AbdulrazaqOHamzat, Disclaimer: "The views/contents expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Modern Ghana. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Lokoja (lōkōjä´), town (1987 est. History has it that, there are many reasons why Lokoja is a special place in Nigerian history. Residential districts are of varying density, and the city has various suburbs such as Felele, Adankolo, Otokiti and Ganaja. These include the Igbo, Tiv, Edo, etc. It is also worthy to mention that editions of Lokoja boat regatta are held, albeit not regularly. Kogi, is a state in the central region (Middle-Belt) of Nigeria. According to professor Jegede, There in Lokoja, they defy the intense heat at that time of the year to write 183 courses and adapt 235 others in 54 programmes carefully chosen to kick start the re-establishment of the National Open University of Nigeria in Lagos. Change ). This prompts the writing of this piece to expose the significance of the historical city of Lokoja as a means of appreciating this ancient city of freedom fighters, educators, emancipators and liberators. It is also home to Kogi State Polytechnic and the newly established Federal University Lokoja.[4]. Un établissement anglais plus important est fondé à Lokoja dans les années 1850 par l'explorateur britannique William Balfour Baikie. Lokoja was ruledby the following Maigari of Lokoja (Hamza, Dauda, Musa, Muhammadu Maikarfi, Abigel) that the British installed who claim to be converted to Islam and called Bukar and reside at Yaragi Madabo Junction of Lokoja as the then new Lokoja palace. The area that would become Lokoja has been inhabited for thousands of years by people from different ethnic groups prior to the arrival of Europeans. The commentaries which are located in three different places within Lokoja Township hold six to eight hundred graves of Africans and Europeans tomb which was said to have largest contraption of European graveyard in Nigeria. The Polytechnic took off in January 1993 at the Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja and Osara Campus with Dr. Isa I.A. Moreso, the 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 said that they migrated from Baro and some parts of present-day Niger state to the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers. These different groups lived in different quarters of the town but were closely related socio-politically. Lokoja is the first settlement of British in Nigeria, In fact, the name Nigeria was coined by flora Shaw in Lokoja, a British journalist who later married Fredrick Lugard, and as it was said, Flora coined the name Nigeria while gazing out at the River that stretched before her in the late 19th century. 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. ( Log Out /  They were able to sustain themselves by engaging in farming and hunting activities at Agbaja hill. 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. Our History: Kogi State Polytechnic was established in December 1992 by the 1st and 2nd Executive Governor of Kogi State, Prince Abub akar Audu through an amended edict No. [1] While the Nupe, Hausa, Yoruba, Igala and Ebira are indigenous to the area, other ethnic groups of Nigeria, including the Igbo, Bini/Edo and Tiv, have recently established themselves. In 1859 a British trading and missionary settlement was founded in Lokoja. The late Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther spearheaded anti-slavery crusade in Nigeria and erected the Iron of liberty at a spot where slaves were set free in Lokoja. History has it that, there are many reasons why Lokoja is a special place in Nigerian history. Today, Lokoja is the state capital of Kogi State, a state carved out from kwara and Benue State in 1991. Atabor Julius wrote that, the magnificent river Niger and river Benue meet in Lokoja, forming the famous confluence from which Kogi derives its official sobriquet (The confluence state). (Prog Olugbemiro Jegede). Professor Olayemi Akinwumi PhD, FHSN, AvHF, MNAL is a Distinguished Professor of History at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria since 2005. He had his higher education at the University of Ilorin where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 1985 followed by Master’s and PhD degrees in History in the same university. It is said that they migrated from Baro and some parts of present-day Niger Stateto the confluence of the Niger and Benue … History of Igala Kingdom. An informative website bringing to you latest news from Lokoja and beyond. Lokoja is a city in Nigeria. She M, Any New Revolution in Ghana Would Come from NPP, Not NDC, Reactions to Dr. Wereko Brobbey's "Ghana's Disputed 2020 Ele, Mahama’s Biggest Downfall In This Election is Sammy Gyamfi A, The NPP's Political Tsunami in Ghana's Elections 2020. Lokoja like many other cities in Nigeria belong to Nigeria, it is located in the heart of Nigeria, in the present North Central of the federal republic, a former capital of the British northern protectorate and it also remained a convenient administrative town for the British colonial government after the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates into one nation called Nigeria in 1914. The town is situated in the tropical Wet and Dry savanna climate zone of Nigeria, and temperature remains hot all year round. Kogi is contiguous to nine(9) states in Nigeria and is essentially a transit route to sixteen other states including the Fct. This cosmopolitan nature have remains to date, the dilemma of Lokoja as various ethnic groups-notably the Oworo, Nupe, Igbirra, Hausa, Igala-lay claim to the ownership of the town. It was said that the city was supposed to accommodate born steel industry, but only the Ajaokuta steel mill which was served by the abundant Iron Ore deposite later find its presence in the city and more recently, the Dangote cement factory. Lokoja Urban Area Population History. Declaration of Support for Dr Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia to Ensure Continuity of NPP Governance Beyond Year 2024, How politicians win or lose the next election easily, Stop wildlife trade to prevent future pandemics, Let the Law Take Its Full Course with those Threatening the Life of President Nana Akufo-Addo, Live updates: Ghanaians go to the polls today, How Nigerians spent N1.5 trillion to watch foreign football, Why Israel Is Against 2 States Solution On Palestine, Catch up on the latest news videos from around the world, Get the latest live updates about the Coronavirus Pandemic. 6 of 1994. They didn't know the role this beautiful city played in the history and developments of the beautiful Nigeria neither were they aware of the abundant historical relic it contained, especially before and during the colonial era. Do you want to find out the list of courses you can study at the Federal University, Lokoja (FULOKOJA)? The Selection and Post of Senior Minister in Ghana Government. Buy Access; Help; About; Contact Us; Cookies; Encyclopedias | Text editions Many youths of this generation knew little or nothing about the popular Lokoja city of today. The Nupe and Zazzau emirs agree with the Hausas to be the leader, while the Nupe to be the religion leader as chief imam of Lokoja. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. It lies at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers and is the capital of Kogi State. Lokoja is also a Local Government Area of Kogi State with an area of 3,180 km² and a population of 195,261 at the 2006 census. With all these historical references, Lokoja is no doubt a city of historical importance located strategically. According to Ad Ali, Lokoja rose to fame due to its location at the confluence of the two great waterways in West Africa, the Niger and Benue Rivers. Till date, many relations of the European workers of the united African trading company (UTC), soldiers as well as missionaries buried in the European commentaries in Lokoja are trooping to the state to see the tomb of their departed great grandparents and pay tribute to them. It is located at the confluence of … First, Lokoja was the first administrative and commercial capital of Nigeria when Lord Lugard became the Governor General of Nigeria after Mungo Park and Richard and John Landers explored the River Niger in 1830's. With the arrival of the Europeans, the city rose to international fame when it served as the first British settlement in Nigeria and as a major inland port for European companies. The Igala Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Idah, Ane-Ìgàlá, is a pre-colonial West African state, north central Nigeria. EP10 Africa Calling Special on Land Rights: Kenya, Liberia, Pope says fraternity the watchword 'at this moment in histor, Post-Brexit trade agreement: EU and Britain prepare the fina, As UK pulls out of Erasmus, what study abroad options remain, CAR rebels cancel ceasefire ahead of Sunday's vote, Be Decorous When Discussing About Our Presidential Candidate, What Has "Otani Gyimifoc" Have To Do With Agyapa Royalties L, Jean Mensa Forgot; She Could Have Aborted The 2 Kids. Different quarters of history of lokoja Niger and Benue rivers and is the trade distribution centre for an agricultural ( cotton. A pre-colonial West African State, a State carved Out from kwara and Benue rivers and is capital. Then was Fr popular Lokoja city of today Frederick Lugard, governed the Governor. 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