Kogi

Kogi State exists because two rivers converge and so did colonial ambitions. The confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers at Lokoja creates a Y-shape that divides Nigeria - and here Flora Shaw coined the name "Nigeria" while gazing from Mount Patti. The British established Lokoja in 1857 as a model farm during the Niger expedition, then made it the colonial administrative headquarters before Lagos. Created in 1991 from Kwara and Benue states, Kogi unified three distinct traditions: Igala kingdom to the east (the largest ethnic group), Nupe territory (absorbed by the Sokoto Caliphate in the 1800s) to the west, and Ebira in the center. This tripartite structure organizes the state's senatorial districts. Being the only Nigerian state sharing borders with ten others creates unique strategic advantage - a natural bridge between north and south. The economy runs on agriculture (yams, cassava, rice, cocoa, coffee) and unrealized industrial potential: Ajaokuta Steel Company, Nigeria's largest steel complex, has never operated at capacity; Obajana Cement Factory, one of Africa's largest, actually produces. Iron ore, coal, limestone deposits represent over 40 mineral varieties. By 2026, whether steel finally becomes productive will determine if Kogi's confluence location translates into industrial reality.