Gboko

Gboko is a city and local government area in Benue State, north-central Nigeria. The LGA was created on 11 May 1970 and covers a landmass of 2,264 square kilometres. Gboko serves as the ancestral headquarters of the Tiv people, and it is home to the palace of the Tor Tiv, the supreme traditional ruler of the Tiv nation. The current Tor Tiv, honorifically called Begha U Tiv (Lion of the Tiv people), is His Royal Majesty, Prof Ortese Iorzua James Ayatse.

Historically, Gboko began as an agricultural and trading settlement long before colonial rule. During the British era, it developed into a key collection point for farm produce, thanks to exceptionally fertile soils that supported the cultivation of yams, sorghum, sesame, and groundnuts. The town grew steadily as a cultural and economic hub for the Tiv people.

Today Gboko is one of the largest urban centres in Benue State, with a metro population of about 524,000 in 2025. The city hosts the University of Mkar, the NKST College of Health Technology, and limestone-based cement industries that exploit the rich mineral deposits in the area. Gboko remains a vital cultural and political anchor for the Tiv nation.