What is today known as Lokoja Local Government Area has an aged long history. The area has contributed in no small measure to the socio-political development of Nigeria before, during after the colonial period. In 1904, Lord Lugard moved the headquarters of his administration from Lokoja to Zungeru to enable him subdue other Northern towns under British flag. Lokoja was the first headquarters of Northern Nigeria immediately after the amalgamation of the North and South in 1914.
        

  In the year 1945, Lokoja become provincial headquarters of Kabba. By 1945, the area was named Kwara Native Authority with Kotton-Karfe division, Kakanda, Kupa, Eggan, Oworo and Lokoja district fused into one native authority for administrative convenience with Lokoja as it headquarters. But this name was later changed to federal native authority; it is worthy to note therefore, that as at that time, we had only two federal native authorities in the entire Northern Nigeria. The other was Jama’a federal Native Authority, now in Kaduna State.When General Gowon’s administration broken the country into twelve states on 27th May 1967 and thus west-Central (later Kwara State), the area was renamed Kogi division. It should be noted that he erstwhile two provinces of Kabba and Ilorin were merged to be known as Kwara State. With the 1976 Local Government reforms, the name was change once again to Kogi Local Government Area, which comprised six districts Lokoja, Kotton-Karfe, Oworo, Kupa, Kakanda and Eggan.
     

In addition when on 27th August, 1991 Babangida administration created Kogi State, which was carved out of the old Kwara and Benue States, while Koton Karfe which is now an autonomous Local Government Area bears the name Kogi Local Government Area with the carving out of Kogi (Koton-Karfe), Lokoja Local Government is left with five districts Lokoja, Oworo, Kupa, Kakanda and Eggan.