INVENTORY OF NATURAL ATTRACTIONS IN IDAH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE

INVENTORY OF NATURAL ATTRACTIONS IN IDAH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE
BY
AMADI INYA OGBONNIA
IKWUKA IHUOMA
HARUNA BLESSING KYE’AN
SIMON JOSHUA
AMICHI ANDREW
THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC IDAH, KOGI STATE
Email:  HYPERLINK "mailto:sagewonders@gmail.com" sagewonders@gmail.com
+2348135146188

INTRODUCTION
One of the most important subjects of tourism is attractions. Swarbrooke (1995:3), attractions are arguably the most important components in the tourism system.  They are the main motivators for tourists’ trips and are the core of the tourism product.  Without attractions there would be no need for other tourism services.  Indeed, tourism as such would not exist if it were not for attractions. A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.
Tourism is the movement of people to and stays in places outside their usual home for at least 24 hours and not more then one consecutive year for leisure business and other purpose not related to any form of employment from within the place visited.
With advance in transportation and information technology, even the most remote places on earth are within reach to the travelers. Infact, tourism is one of the world largest industries, with natural tourism the fattest growing segment. People that want to experience the nature and world should try to do so in a way that doesn’t impact the nature environment negatively. In response to the increasing of appreciation of nature experience people travel to natural areas.
Natural area is an area of unique scenic, historic, geologic, or ecological values and of sufficient size and characters so as to allow it’s maintenance in natural condition by the operation of physical and biological process, usually without direct human intervention. These areas are set aside to provide locations for scientific observation of natural system to protect outstanding example of natural interest and beauty.
Natural tourism is the travel through and enjoyment of the natural world. It is seasonal cycles and event, carried out in a manner that promotes the protection of natural and human communities and consideration for those who will inherit our world (future generation). A sustainable nature tourism industry is directly related to the type, amount and quality of natural capital in community. Nature capital of any given area provides valuable ecosystem service such as flood control, biological diversity, soil fertility, aesthetics and recreation potential. Nature base tourism is any type of tourism that relies on experience directly related to the natural attraction and including ecotourism, adventure tourism, extractive tourism, wild tourism and nature retreats.
Increased tourism to sensitive natural areas for nature tourism without appropriate planning and management can threaten the integrity of ecosystem and local culture. The increase of visitors to natural areas can lead to significant environmental degradation likewise local communities and indigenous culture can be harm in numerous ways by an influx of foreign visitor and wealth.
In a natural areas used for natural tourism human habitation should not been permitted, camping may be permitted in designated areas only. Access for all but essential administrative activities should be restricted to foot trails. Timbers harvesting will not be permitted except as may be require for maintenance for the public safety.
Natural attraction is a geographic or geological feature that attract tourist. Natural attraction is an attraction that has been created by nature. Idah is a town in kogi state Nigeria, Idah is a land blessed with many natural resources. Nature has endowed Idah with a good design that is so attractive that Idah makes one of the most naturally picturesque in Kogi State. The natural attraction in Idah are Inachalo river, Ochece cliff, ubi-ogba cliff, river niger, odiokoliko river and Idah earth tumulus.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To undertake the inventory of natural attractions in Idah local government area
To know the location of natural attractions in Idah local government  area
To know the level of development of the natural attractions
To know the problems associated to the natural attractions
To make a recommendation base on study and finding.
STUDY AREA
Idah local government area is the oldest in Igala land. It was created in 1967 out of the then Igala Native Authority (INA) by military regime under General Yakubu Gowon which Idah is headquarter. Idah is the traditional seat of the Attah Igala, also headquarter of Igala land kingdom and occupied a strategic position in Igala land. To the northeast Idah local government is bounded by Ibaji local government area, while to the south is parted from Edo state by River Niger. In the northern part of Idah lies Igalamela/Odolu local government which was carved out of Idah local government in 1996 along with Ibaji local government during the creation of some local government council in the country by the military regime under late general Sani Abacha. Idah local government consist of three (3) districts namely Idah native town, Ega and Ede districts.
POPULATION OF IDAH PEOPLE
Idah local government area is one of the 21 local government areas of Kogi State. The 1991 census revealed that Idah has a total population of about 473,526. Due to the creation of Igalamela/Odolu and Ibaji local government area has a projected population figure of 289,546 people settled within the three districts of the local government area.

LANGUAGE OF IDAH PEOPLE.
The people of Idah generally speak Igala, but the part of Idah known as Angwa speaks Hausa. History has it that the Hausa's in Idah migrated from Kano and few Nupe from Niger State.
RELIGION OF IDAH PEOPLE
According to the 1991 projected figure, about 45% of the total population is Muslims while the rest of the populations are Christians and traditionalist. This shows that Muslims dominate the local government area.
CLIMATE OF IDAH
There are two major seasons experienced in Idah. There are raining and dry seasons. The raining season starts from April to October while the dry season starts from November to March. December and January are cold months due to the influence of the northeast trade winds that ushers in the harmattan.
TOPOGRAPHY OF IDAH
Idah local government area has a very flat-leveled land. The soil is mostly clay some parts are loamy and sandy soil surrounded by river, but the major rivers are River Niger, Ocheche and Inachalo River.
Idah local government area is also blessed with social amenities and infrastructural facilities such as roads, electricity, schools, hospital etc
EDUCATION
The study area has a total of sixty five (65) primary schools within the three districts of the local government area. Apart from that, there are ten (10) secondary schools and two (2) post secondary school in the study area namely: federal polytechnic Idah and school of health technology all located in the Idah town.

HEALTH CARE FACILITIES/CENTERS
Idah local government has one general hospital at Idah town, health centers are located in the districts headquarter, while private clinics and dispensaries in the town and some villages within the study area.
WATER SUPPLY
The people in the study area especially at the districts have enjoyed pipe borne water and the local government headquarters like Idah town, Ega, Owoliapa, Ede, Ukwaja, Igecheba and Igalogba presently most of these pipes are bad.
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
Data required for this study are these on resident population, natural attraction area in Idah local government. Primary data were developed through the use of reconnaissance field surveys and interview. The secondary data were draws from development plans and published works. Thus these two method have done much to generate the require information on location of the natural resources in the study areas and involve local residents. The two methods used were found useful to undertaken the inventory of natural resources in Idah local government.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION
NATURAL ATTRACTION IN IDAH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KOGI STATE

Idah local government offer wide variety of natural attraction such as River ideal  for swimming and other water sport, vast tracks of unspoiled nature ranging from magnified land cliff and hills, Idah have some beautiful site in Kogi State. These sites related to scenic beauty and environmental interesting areas that offer opportunities for sight seeing
UBIOBGA CLIFF
Ubi-ogba cliff is one of the natural attractions in Idah local government area. Ubi-ogba cliff is located a Ega in Idah town. The cliff has been there for centuries, the cliff serve as a protector to Idah local government. No matter the extent of the flood on River Niger the cliff protect it from going beyond were it suppose to go. One of the greatest features of the Ubi-ogba cliff is the SOUND RE-ECHO SOUND. This sound re-echo sound is a place in the cliff were you stand and say anything and you hears exactly what you says that is re-echo what you sound.
At the base of Ubiogba cliff there is a river called Odi-okoliko. There is also some form of economics activities going on at the areas like fishing and hunting as animals appears there and are killed by the hunters. Another feature of the cliff is the mark on the cliff. The mark was marked by the then Attah of Igala Ameh Oboni one of the Igala royal fathers, no matter the kind of flood on the river Niger it can never pass the area marked. If it does the whole Idah local government will be filled with water. Though Ubi-ogba cliff is still under developed but it has a potential for recreational activities center or sightseeing that worth visiting.
OCHECHE CLIFF
Ocheche cliff is another cliff that God blessed Idah local government with. It is located at Attah of Igala street in Idah. The difference between ubi-ogba cliff and ocheche cliff is that there is a step at ocheche cliff, visitors follow the step before reaching the cliff but ubiogba cliff does not have any step. The steps are so rough that only the indigenes that can walk perfectly on it because some were trained to walk on it. The step is about 22 counts to the river. The step was reconstructed by late Attah Ameh Oboni. Ocheche cliff is also under developed but it has a potential to attract many visitors on sightseeing to the cliff.

OCHECHE RIVER
Ocheche river is located around the ocheche cliff. There is a place where the elders hide during the ancient Igala people war around the river. There is also a shrine beside the river.  The shrine is so dangerous that it has kill so many people and also kill farmers who farm close to the shrine. Because of the hazardous nature of the shrine tourists are advice to stand far away to view the shrine. The land surrounding the river is fertile but no one is permitted to do any form of farming activities there. The ocheche river has great potentials for a fishing festival, swimming, picnicking, game viewing, and boat crusing
IDOKOLIKO RIVER
This is one of the natural attractions in Idah local government, it is located at ega market at the base of ubiogba cliff. It is a very beautiful scenic attraction ideal for swimming competition. During raining season the river join river Niger. The river is where the Idah people do there boat regatta festival which is held annually on the month of October to November. There are some other activities that is going on the river like fishing which is the major activity in the river. The river is under developed but has significant potentials for swimming, sport fishing or fishing festival, game viewing, and boat regatta festival when the attraction is developed.

RIVER NIGER IN IDAH
The River Niger is the principal river of Western Africa, extending about 4,180km. Its drainage basin is 2,117km2 in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in South eastern guinea. It runs in a crescent through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeding only by the Nile and the Congo River (also known as the Zaire River).
Its main tributary is the Benue River. The River Niger is a relatively “clear” river, carrying only a tenth as much sediment as the Nile because the Niger’s headlands are located in ancient rocks that provides little silt. Like the Nile, the Niger floods yearly; this begins in September, peaks in November, and finishes by May. Many European expeditions to plots the river was unsuccessful. Idah is 7’05N and 6’45E and a second order core town in Kogi State Nigeria
The key potentials that require development in the study area include:
River Banks
The river side scenic value of the Niger is flat and interesting. A number of picnic/refreshment sports should be developed along banks or on islands of the Niger so that boat and fishing trips could be making from the town (Idah) for a day or half-day excursions. Ideally these would be combined with practical ferry routes. The river banks will obviously have a major effect on boating and fishing sports.
5km Land
The area Idah- Oyedenga road refers to as 5km land provides an access and picnic area should be developed. A number of economic benefits can be accruing to the Idah Local Government Council and the Kogi State Government when recreational facilities are provided in this area for all recreationists.

Water Sport
Idah at one end of the Niger confluence would be a very attractive and suitable location for this as it is easily accessible from the State capital (Lokoja), Federal capital (Abuja) and central Nigeria. The potential recreational uses of this sport centre will be swimming, rowing, water skiing, boating etc. In assessing the development potential of resources in relation to the provision of recreational facilities, at present no facilities have been developed at River Niger recreation area in Idah. The only facility being currently undertaking for Idah is the dredging of River Niger.

IDAH EARTH TUMULUS, OJUWO ATTOGWU
Idah earth tumulus (ojuwo atogwu) is located at along Anyigba road Idah kogi state it is an ancient earth work at Idah. It was declares as national monument in 1963 by the national commission for museum and monument of Nigeria. The attah’s warriors used it as hiding place during the war. The warriors hide there to see their enemies from far and attack them. The Idah earth tumulus is fenced by the national commission of museum to avoid encroachment from the local community. It is a natural attraction in Idah that has the potentials to attract many visitors on a sightseeing visit to the earth tumulus

INACHALO RIVER
Inachalo is one of the rivers in Idah local government areas. The river is located at inachalo. The river is famous because of what happened on the river during the ancient time when Jukuns and Igala fought war. At the time when Ayigba was a king, the Junkuns send an army against Igala camped at the Inachalo River, a few miles from Idah town. A medicine man prepared some medicine which he threw into the Inachalo River causing it to be toxic. As soon as the camped, Jukuns army began drinking from the rivers water many died and the remnant proved to be weak against the army of Attah Ayegba. The fish is also said to be uncooked no matter how long one boil the fish from the river it will always remain raw. It is also said that any injury which a person receive from the river will never heal.
CONCLUSION
In Idah local government area, they have some of most beautiful natural attractions in Kogi State. These includes Rivers earth tumulus. The people are hospitable. All these natural resources have both economic and social benefits for the local people in the local government. However, the development of these natural attractions will diversify the local government economy and will also provide income and create employment opportunity for the local people. It will also conserve the natural attractions. 






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