Beautiful Nigeria: Confluence Of Lokoja, The Place Where River Niger Meets River Benue

Nigeria’s longest river, the River Niger meets the Benue River here at a point that forms the Y-shape that is seen on a map of the country.

An amazing sight, one of the best places to see this natural feature is the famed Mount Patti.

There is one distinguishing feature that is easily prominent when viewed from this elevated position – their colors can be easily seen.

Whereas the River Niger water appears muddy, that of the Benue appears light blue in color.

It is claimed that it was here, filled with the beauty of the two great rivers and its confluence, that the Lady Flora Shaw had the idea to name the country Nigeria after the River Niger.

The river Niger remained a wonder to the first Europeans who set foot on Nigeria’s soil until John and Richard Landers passed through the confluence on October 25th 1830 thereby completing the journey that Mungo Park had started.

Rivers Niger and Benue are the two largest rivers in West Africa.The two rivers meet at Lokoja in Kogi state, forming a Y-shaped structure in what appears to be a magnificent union and draining southwards into the ocean.

While River Niger is brownish in colour, River Benue is light green in colour. Fishing is carried on extensively on the rivers.

There are ferry and boat services plus cruising facilities within view of the confluence.

The sole aim is to make it a pleasurable delight to visitors, both foreign and local, thus boosting the tourism industry, the economy and the level of social interaction in the state. Lokoja is mostly known and celebrated for is its confluence.

Lokoja, it is, where the two great rivers: Niger and Benue meet. Whichever means the great geographical wonder is accessed – it is a beauty to behold.

Two giant arms of water spread-eagled on an expanse of land dotted with green vegetation.

The array of settlements around the confluence which they sprout from have probably made aerial approach to Nature’s wonder more enrapturing.For those who do this either from aircraft or choppers, it is sheer bliss.

Those who could not afford this should, however, not allow their enthusiasm to be dampened. There are other elevated landscapes around where the confluence could be viewed aerially. These also dot the site of the confluence.

The significance of the two rivers to the socio-cultural and economical wellbeing of the country cannot be overemphasised.

The Niger snaking its way through the upper part of the country down to Lokoja and even threading to other parts of the land especially the South West where it is revered and even deified. Yoruba call the Niger River Oya.