Kogi is a Local Government Area in Kogi State, Nigeria, headquartered at Koton Karfe. The LGA covers about 1,498 square kilometres in the north of the state, on the road linking Lokoja, the state capital, to Abuja. It recorded a population of 115,100 at the 2006 census, projected to 155,100 by 2022. The LGA shares its name with the state itself, which can cause confusion when reading maps or directories that list both side by side.
Key Facts
| State | Kogi |
| Headquarters | Koton Karfe |
| Area | About 1,498 km² |
| Population (2006 census) | 115,100 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 155,100 |
| LGA count | One of 21 LGAs in Kogi State |
Towns and Villages in Kogi
The list below is checked against the INEC 2015 Polling Unit Directory for the LGA, the GRID3 Nigeria settlement database, and the GeoNames Nigeria gazetteer.
- Achara
- Acheni
- Adaba
- Adabode
- Adagima
- Adama
- Adanya
- Adinjere
- Agaboshi Gwari
- Agaga
- Agbudu
- Agidi
- Agyara
- Ahoko
- Akabu
- Akpabi
- Akpaku
- Akpara
- Akpasu
- Akpo
- Akpogu
- Akpori Bassa
- Akyara Bassa
- Allah
- Amoko
- Anegbaki
- Apashi
- Aseni
- Behu
- Bibirokwo
- Bishiwo
- Bori-Bassa
- Chakaruku
- Chikara
- Dagbogua
- Dangare
- Deneku-Bassa
- Duduku-Bassa
- Dugbeji
- Ebagi
- Ebimikpo
- Edegaki
- Edeha
- Ekpuruka
- Eshikabu
- Ete
- Gbagede
- Gbange
- Gbarada Bassa
- Gbarake Bassa
- Gbaram Bassa
- Gbendu
- Gbodogo
- Gbogboro
- Gbogu-Bassa
- Geba Bassa
- Gegu Egba
- Gegu-Beki
- Ginirnya
- Gitata
- Gumbo
- Idu Igbira
- Iganuma
- Igbogo Bassa
- Igeneku Bassa
- Ikumo
- Irada
- Iraki
- Irako
- Iregbeta
- Ironodu
- Karagba
- Kekere
- Koton-Karfe
- Kpakpazi
- Kpariku
- Kpataku
- Kpokpolobi Bassa
- Kwakwa Goro
- Kworaki
- Makpa
- Manko Bassa
- Mozu-Ete
- Narawanti
- Nyaba
- Obobo
- Odama
- Odda
- Odugba
- Ofoko
- Ogase
- Oji
- Okofi
- Okpaka
- Okparake
- Omoke
- Onzo
- Orehi
- Osenseni
- Osuku
- Ozagi
- Ozahi
- Ozi
- Ozugbe
- Panda
- Rambo Bassa
- Rijia
- Robomi
- Sabo-Gwari
- Samariga
- Sasere
- Shedema
- Shiden Bassa
- Shikaku
- Tanabu
- Tawari
- Tazenyi Igbira
- Tege
- Tusa Bassa
- Tuturu
- Ugwe
- Ugwo
- Uhana
- Ukwo
- Umanyare
- Usodomi
- Uwa
- Yelwa
- Zagana
Geography
Kogi is one of the LGAs of Kogi State (all Kogi State LGAs). The LGA borders Niger State and the Niger River to the west, the Federal Capital Territory to the north, Nasarawa State to the east, and the Benue River to the south, close to the point where the Benue joins the Niger. That confluence position places Kogi LGA at the meeting point of three states and two rivers, unusual among Kogi State’s 21 LGAs and a reminder that its boundaries are set as much by water as by any surveyed line.
Its headquarters, Koton Karfe, sits on the road connecting Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, to Abuja, in the LGA’s northern reach. The town’s full name, Koton Karfe, is often shortened in local speech and on road signs, but both forms refer to the same headquarters.
Koton Karfe is home to a cave once used as an administrative office by the colonial official Frederick Lugard and later as a shelter for villagers and warriors during past conflicts; the site also has hiking trails and two waterfalls nearby. The LGA’s people are mainly Egbura Koto, alongside Ebira, Yoruba, Igbo, Bassa and Nupe residents, a mix reflected in the settlement names above, many of which carry a Bassa or Igbira tag naming the founding community. The pattern reflects a landscape of small, closely spaced farming villages rather than a handful of large towns.
Economy & Local Life
Most households farm yam, rice, guinea corn and cassava on land along the Niger and Benue floodplains. Fishing supplements incomes near the two rivers, especially in villages closest to their confluence to the south of the LGA, where the seasonal flood cycle refreshes the fish stock each year. Koton Karfe’s position on the Lokoja-Abuja road supports local trading, transport and roadside services, and the town functions as a market centre for the surrounding villages listed above. Livestock keeping, particularly goats, sheep and poultry, is common in the smaller Bassa and Igbira settlements away from the highway, where farming households keep animals alongside their crops rather than as a separate trade.
Getting There
Koton Karfe is reached by the federal highway that links Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, to Abuja. Travellers heading north from Lokoja pass through the LGA on the way to the Federal Capital Territory, and villages off the highway are reached by feeder roads branching from Koton Karfe. The LGA’s riverine southern end, near the Niger-Benue confluence, is better reached by boat than by road, a common pattern for the confluence LGAs of Kogi State.
FAQ
Which state is Kogi LGA in?
Kogi LGA is in Kogi State, Nigeria. It is one of the 21 LGAs that make up Kogi State and, unusually, shares the state’s name.
What is the population of Kogi LGA?
Kogi LGA had a population of 115,100 at the 2006 census, projected to 155,100 by 2022. No Nigerian census has been held since 2006, so the 2022 figure is a projection, not a count.
What is the headquarters of Kogi LGA?
The headquarters of Kogi LGA is Koton Karfe, on the road between Lokoja and Abuja.
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