History
Founded by William Balfour Baikie according to European historical records, although there have been indigenous people living in the area for thousands of years. Lokoja was the capital of British Northern Nigeria Protectorate and remained a convenient administrative town for the British colonial government after the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria Protectorates into one nation called Nigeria in 1914.
The first Governor General Lord Frederick Lugard ruled the new nation of Nigeria from Lokoja. The city has since grown to an estimated 90000 inhabitants. It is a trade center for its agricultural region because it sits at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, and is close to the new federal capital of Nigeria in Abuja. Near Lokoja (in Ajaokuta) are metallurgy facilities and iron ore mines.
Read more about this topic: Lokoja
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