The Gongola River is in northeastern

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, the principal tributary of the Benue River. The upper course of the river as well as most of its tributaries are seasonal streams, but fill rapidly in August and September. The Gongola rises on the eastern slopes of the

Jos Plateau The Jos Plateau is a plateau located near the centre of Nigeria. The plateau has given its name to the Plateau State in which it is found and is named for the state's capital, Jos. The plateau is home to people of diverse cultures and languages ...

and falls to the Gongola Basin, running northeasterly until

Nafada Nafada is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Gombe State, Nigeria. Its headquarter is in the town of Nafada in the east of the area at , on the Gongola River which traverses the area. According to the 2006 census, the LGA covers 1,586 square kilo ...

. At one time, the Gongola continued from here in the northeast direction to

Lake Chad Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme, ...

. Today it turns south and then southeast until it joins the Hawal River, its main tributary. The Gongola then runs south to the Benue river, joining it opposite the town of Numan. The lower reaches of the river are impounded by the

Dadin Kowa Dam The Dadin Kowa Dam is situated in Yamaltu Deba local government area of Gombe State in the North east part of Nigeria. The dam is located about 37 kilometers to the east of Gombe town and 5km froDadin kowavillage, and provides drinking water for ...

near Gombe, and lower down by the

Kiri Dam The Kiri Dam is in Kiri, Nigeria, Shelleng local government area of Adamawa State in the north east of Nigeria, damming the Gongola River. It is a 1.2 km long, 20 m high zoned embankment with an internal clay blanket. The dam was mainly ...

. After the Kiri dam was constructed, downstream flood peaks dropped from to , while flows in dryer seasons increased from to . The river downstream from the dam also narrowed and became less winding, with fewer separate channels. The Gongola's floodplains are covered with a fertile black alluvial soil. Cotton, peanuts (groundnuts), and sorghum are grown for export to other parts of the country, and millet, beans, cassava (manioc), onions, corn (maize), and rice are also cultivated. The government built the Kiri Dam on the river near Numan to provide irrigation for a sugar plantation. The basin is also used as grazing ground for cattle, goats, sheep, horses, and donkeys.

References

Gongola River The Gongola River is in northeastern Nigeria, the principal tributary of the Benue River. The upper course of the river as well as most of its tributaries are seasonal streams, but fill rapidly in August and September. The Gongola rises on the east ...

Rivers of Nigeria {{Nigeria-river-stub