🇳🇬 Ethnic group

Igala

Evidence: Well documented

The Igala are one of the three main peoples of Kogi State, according to the Federal Government's state profile and Wikipedia.

Overview

The Igala are one of the three main peoples of Kogi State, according to the Federal Government's state profile and Wikipedia. Wikipedia describes them as native to the region south of the confluence of the Niger and Benue, with Idah as their ancestral home and the capital of the Igala kingdom, whose ruler is the Attah; the area was formerly the Igala Division of Kabba Province. The federal profile names the Ogugu as a subgroup of the Igala, and Blench's Atlas lists Ògùgù among the dialects of Igala, spoken in Ankpa LGA. Wikipedia places the Igala in Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro, Dekina, Bassa, Ankpa, Omala, Lokoja, Ibaji and Ajaokuta LGAs.

Connections
Other names
  • Igara · alternative
    Wikipedia ('Igala or Igara people'); also Atlas field 2.C, other name for the people.
Sources
  1. Kogi State — Federal Government of Nigeria (nigeria.gov.ng), 2024-03-06 · Official source · link (accessed 30 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Igala
  2. Kogi State — Wikipedia · Reference source · link (accessed 25 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Igala
  3. Igala people — Wikipedia · Reference source · link (accessed 30 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Igala
  4. An Atlas of Nigerian Languages (2020 edition) — Roger Blench, Kay Williamson Educational Foundation / McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, 2020 · Academic source · link (accessed 24 Sep 2026)
    Supports: Igala
How evidence is graded
  • Verified: Supported by an official source, or by two or more independent sources that agree.
  • Well documented: Supported by credible sources, but not yet independently confirmed.
  • Reported: Found in a credible source; further corroboration is welcome.
  • Needs corroboration: The evidence is thin or incomplete; more sources are being sought.
  • Disputed: Credible sources or community accounts disagree; the differing accounts are noted.
  • Uncertain: There is not yet enough information to classify this responsibly.

Sources are marked official, academic, reference, community or general web. Sources that copy each other count as one. Oral traditions are recorded as traditions, not as proven fact.

Archive ID: ETH-IGALA · Last updated 30 September 2026. Spotted an error or have a source to add? Tell us.

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