This post will provide information on the list of the 23 local government areas and their towns in Benue state Nigeria as well as provide answers to questions like: Who is the richest man in Gboko? How many local government areas are there in Benue State? What tribe is Benue? When did Benue State created? How many tribes are there in Benue? Who is the richest man in Gboko?
Urbanization in Benue State did not predate the colonial era. The few towns established during colonial rule remained very small (less than 30,000 people) up to the creation of Benue State in 1976. Benue towns can be categorised into three groups. The first group consists of those with a population of 80,000 to 500,000 people. These include Makurdi, the State Capital, Gboko and Otukpo the "headquarters" of the two dominant ethnic groups (125,944 and 88,958 people respectively). The second group comprises towns with a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 people and includes Katsina-Ala, Zaki-Biam, Ukum , and Adikpo, Kwande. These are all local government headquarters. The third category comprises towns with a population of 10,000 to 19,000 people and includes Vandeikya, Lessel, Ihugh, Naka, Adoka, Aliade, Okpoga, Igumale, Oju, Utonkon, Ugbokolo, Wannune, Ugbokpo, Otukpa, Ugba and Korinya. Most of these towns are headquarters of recently created Local Government Areas and/or district headquarters or major market areas. Some of the headquarters of the newly created LGAs have populations of less than 10,000 people. Such places include Tse-Agberaba, Gbajimba, Buruku, Idekpa, Obagaji and Obarikeito. Apart from earth roads, schools, periodic markets and chemists (local drug stores), the rural areas are largely used for farming, relying on the urban centres for most of their urban needs. Benue State has no problem of capital city primacy. Rather, three towns stand out very clearly as important urban centres which together account for more than 70 per cent of the social amenities provided in the state and almost all the industrial establishments. These centres are Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo. They are amongst the oldest towns in the state and are growing at a much faster rate than the smaller younger towns.
Benue State region was depleted of its human population during the slave trade. It is largely rural, with scattered settlements mainly in tiny compounds or homesteads, whose population range from 630 people, most of whom are farmers. It is renowned as the "Heartbeat of the Middle Belt" and the "Entertainment Capital of the Middle Belt" north of the Niger River. The state is populated by several ethnic groups: Tiv, Idoma, Igede, Etulo, Abakpa, Jukun, Hausa, Igbo, Akweya and Nyifon.
It is located in the town of Igumale with about 12 towns which include;
- Igah
- Igedde
- Ijigbam
- Ikponkpon
- Ogbee
- Olekwu
- Osabo
- Osipi
- Osukpo
- Oturupo
- Abisunya
- Achibila
It is located in Obagaji town with about 2 districts which are Agatu and Obaji.
It is located in Ugbokpo town with about 14 villages which include;
- Ugbokpo
- Iga
- Akpete
- Oiji
- Ojope
- Igoro
- Ochekwu
- Edikwu II
- Achaba
- Ahija
- Adija
- Akpanta
- Amoke
- Auke
It is located in the town of Buruku and has about 12 districts which are;
- Buruku
- Etilo
- Mbaakura
- Binev
- Mbaade
- Mbaatirkya
- Mbaazager
- Mbarkyongo
- Mbatyough
- Mbaya
- Mbayaka
- Shorov
It is located in Gboko town with about 8 district which include;
- Gboko East
- Gboko North-West
- Gboko South
- Igyorov
- Mbaa Varakaa
- Mbaanku
- Mbadam
- Mbakper
It is located in the town of Gbajimba and has about 10 districts which include;
- Mbaawa
- Mbabai
- Mbasaan
- Mbagwen and Uyiev
- Daudu
- Torkula
- Kase-yough
- Abinsi
- Mbabegha
- Agasha
It is located in the town of Aliade and has about 5 districts which include;
- Yonor
- Ngyonov
- Njiriv
- Raav
- Mbakpa
It is located in the town of Naka with about 14 major towns which include;
- Naka
- Aondoana
- Agagbe
- Naji Camp
- Jimba
- Bunka
- Kule
- Yonov
- Mbakpa
- Raav
- Njiriv
- Ingohov
- Ikyande
- Enger
It consists of about 9 districts which include;
- Katsina-ota
- Gbor
- Ammatu
- Tor-Donga
- Abaji
- Sai
- Harga
- Mbaton
- Gbise
It is located in the town of Tse-Agberagba and has about 7 major towns which include;
- Tse-Agberagba
- Gungul
- Mbavaa
- Aba
- Abagi
- Aduu
- Korinya
It is located in the town of Adikpo with about 7 districts whichn include;
- Nanev
- Turan
- Ikurave-Ya and Shangev-Ya
- Tse-Gum-Mbayevikyaior
- Ahile/AKende
- Ahundu
- Dio
Its administrative headquarter is at Ugba town with about 10 districts which include;
- Torov
- Mbaterem
- Ucha
- Gaambe Tiev
- Ngenev
- Ugondo
- Tongov
- Kpav
- Gaambe-Va
- Kyuran-Tiev
It is the state capital as well as the headquarters of Makurdi LGA, which consists of Makurdi (rural) districts with about 13 villages including;
- Adaka
- Adeke
- Ajam
- Agbadu
- Agbeshir
- Agenada
- Akaan
- Aki
- Akigwe
- Akpehe
- Akume
- Alla
- Anter
Its administrative headquarter is at Obarike-Ito town with about 6 districts which include;
- Ito
- Adudu
- Agwatashi
- Akanga
- Uwokwu
- Igede
It is located in the town of Otukpa with about 3 major towns which include;
It is located in the town of Idekpa-Okpiko with major district of Onyagede and about 10 villages which include;
- Ogodu
- Enumona
- Ogoli
- Ogande
- Umonomi
- Okpiko
- Iyaya
- Idekpa
- Awume
- Ikpoke
The headquarter is at Oju town with districts of Igede central (Oju) and Uwokwu (Oju II), with about 6 villages which include;
- Abelega
- Adega
- Abofutu
- Adiko
- Ameka
- Akunda
It is located in Okpoga town with about 6 districtswhich include;
- Ichanna
- Orokam
- Otukpa
- Owukpa
- Okpoga
- Edumoga
It consists of about 10 districts and communities which include;
- Otukpo central
- Ugboju-Ehole
- Ugboju-Icho
- Ugboju-Otehe
- Adoka-Icho
- Adoka-Itaje
- Ewulo
- Okete
- Oturkpo town east
- Otukpo town west
It is located in Mannume town with about 17 districts and villages which include;
- Tarka
- Mbaajir
- Akaa
- Mbaigba
- Mbaayo
- Tongor
- Yandev
- Ipav
- Mbayion
- Mbatie
- Mbalagh
- Kusuv
- Utur
- Shorov
- Mbagen
- Mbatiav
- Mbatierev
The headquarter is located in Sankera town and is made up of about 12 districts which include;
- Borikyo
- Aterayange
- Mbatian
- Uvan
- Ituuluv
- Lumbur
- Mbazum
- Tsaar
- Mbayenge
- Ugbadan
- Kendav
- Azendesh
Its administrative headquarter is situated at Lessel town with about 10 districts and communities which include;
- Mbaoka
- Lessel
- Mbagba
- Mbakuha
- Ikov
- Mbaikyaa
- Ushongo
- Utange
- Atirkyese
- Mbaivende
The headquarter is located at Vandeikya with about 9 districts and communities which include;
- Mingev
- Mbaka-Ange
- Mbaduka
- Mbagbera
- Mbayongo
- Mbara
- Ute
- Mbava
- Tsambe