It’s a fast-growing town in the Benue State of North-central Nigeria.
Gboko is the capital of Tiv nation, the commercial capital of Benue state and the second most visited town in state after Makurdi.
In 1885 William Wallace of the Royal Niger Company established trading posts at the banks of River Benue at a place that later become known as Makurdi and at Abinsi and the banks of River Katsina Ala at a place that later became known as Katsina Ala town among other places.
Gboko Central Business District
Katsina Ala, Abinsi and Makurdi were the first towns in Tiv area of the state.
For the reason that the British established these towns initially for trading purposes, the towns were full of traders whom were mostly non-Tiv. Tiv people are more of farmers than traders.
Map of Benue state showing Gboko town
Therefore Gboko was established in 1933 as the capital of Tiv nation
When Tiv decided to install a leader called Tor Tiv they established the town to, among other things, cater for their administrative needs
Gboko refers to either the name of a hill located in the town called ‘Wo Gboko’ in Tiv, meaning Mount Gboko or the specie of stunted trees on the hill.
Mkar hills, near Gboko
Some are of the opinion that the name is that of the specie of trees on the hill.
The name Gboko also refers to the Local Government Area where the town is located.
Map of Benue state showing Gboko local government area
Council wards of Gboko Local Government Area Mbakpegh Igyorov Mbatan Gboko-South Mbatser Mbakwen Gboko-North-West Mbaanku Mbadim Gboko-Central Market Yandev-South Yandev-North Ukpekpe Mbatyu Mbadam Gboko-East, and Mbaaverakaa
The population for the town is over 500,000, mostly Tiv people.
JS Tarka way, Gboko. One of the town’s very important and busy road
Being the traditional capital of the Tiv tribe it has the official residence of the Tor-Tiv, who is the paramount traditional ruler of the Tiv
