Kogi State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, including the Ebira, Gbagyi, Nupe (mainly the Bassa Nge, Kakanda, and Kupa subgroups), and Oko in the state's centre; the Agatu, Basa-Komo, Idoma, Igala, and Igbo in the east; and the Yoruba (mainly the Okun, Ogori, Oworo, and Magongo subgroups) in the west.

Kogi is also religiously diverse, with about equal percentages of Christians and Muslims along with a substantial minority of adherents of traditional ethnic religions.

In the 1900s and 1910s, British expeditions occupied the area and incorporated them into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate with its capital as Lokoja until 1903.

Economically, Kogi State is largely based around agriculture, mainly of coffee, cashew, groundnut, cocoa, oil palm, and yam crops.

Other key industries are crude oil extraction and the livestock herding of cattle, goats, and sheep.

This is according to the state governor, Yahaya Bello, who said that "flooding has affected the nine LGAs which borders the Niger and Benue rivers to include, Lokoja, Kogi-Koto, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Igalamela-Odolu, Bassa, Idah, Ibaji and Omala".

[13][14] The flood caused deaths, loss of property and destruction of farmland and produce estimated at N63.4 billion in nine local government areas of Kogi state.

[16] The state is famous for its productivity in business and agriculture, cultural diversity, hospitable citizens and beautiful landmarks.

The name Nigeria, was coined in Lokoja by Flora Shaw in the hill of Mount Patti, the future wife of Baron Lugard, a British colonial administrator, while gazing out at the river Niger .

Kogi is religiously diverse with about 45% of the state's population are Muslim with about 40% being Christian and the remaining 15% following traditional ethnic religions minorities.

Which are: Tourist attractions in Kogi State include; The Azad's palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, the colonial relics (such as Lord Lugard House), Mount Patti, World War Cenotaph, the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, Ogidi (An African town with formations of Igneous Rock mountains and a traditional art & craft industry) and natural land features hills and terrains that serve as hiking trails.

The state government plans and harnesses the high potentials of tourism including the development of historical landmarks at Lokoja.

There are many farm products from the state, including coffee, cocoa, palm oil, cashews, groundnuts, maize, cassava, yam, rice and melon.

[citation needed] Sportsmen from the state include Shola Ameobi who played football as a striker for Newcastle United and for other English Premier League teams.