Kogi State · Nigeria
Lokoja travel guide
Lokoja is a city in Kogi State, Nigeria, home to about 692,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- ABV118 km · Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
- Currency
- NGNnaira
- Time zone
- Africa/Lagos
- Language
- English
About
About Lokoja
Lokoja () is a city in central Nigeria. It lies at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers and is the capital city of Kogi State.
Lokoja has a long and rich history, and it was the capital of the former Northern Protectorate, presided over by Lord Frederick Lugard. Lokoja town and its river port sit on the west bank of River Niger opposite the opening of River Benue. Lokoja is situated in the middle belt of Nigeria in the confluence of River Niger and River Benue. The city is on the local highway between Kabba and Ayangbe and it has ferry service across the Niger River as well.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Lokoja
See
- Mount Patti
- World War Cenotaphs
- Iron of Liberty
- European Cemetery
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Lokoja
Lokoja has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; September is the wettest, with about 232 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Lokoja: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), about 118 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
Visitors, travellers and tourists can get into Lokoja by plane through the use of the closest international airport which is the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja because the town does not have an international airport yet. Also, visitors and tourists can get into Lokoja by road through a couple of road transport companies that have their terminal in the area.
Getting around
Motorcycles, tricycles popularly known as Keke Napep and commercial buses contribute significantly to the number of automobiles that aid movement in and around the Lokoja.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
ABV · Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Lokoja
Eat
Popular street foods include steamed bean cake (moimoi, apapa), fried bean cake (akara), with a side of bread or corn pap; donkwa (groundnut dumplings), fried yam, fried potatoes, and bean porridge. In local eateries, you might decide to try out pounded yam with egusi soup, or efo riro. Jollof rice is quite popular here, just like most other places in Southwestern Nigeria. If you are visiting Lokoja for the first time, you wouldn't want to stay all through without having a bite of the city's sumptuous meals.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Lokoja: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Lokoja?
Lokoja has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; September is the wettest, with about 232 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Lokoja?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), about 118 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Lokoja?
naira (NGN).
Nearby
Destinations near Lokoja
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.