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International Journal of Marine Science 2013, Vol.3, No.33, 258-266
http://ijms.sophiapublisher.com
261
Beach development involves gradual growth of sandy
area beside the sea, lake or river that is strongly
developed for the purpose of recreation
,
tourism and
leisure
a
ctivities. This type of resort (Beach) is highly
favored by certain factors, which
i
nclude favorable
climate, efficient transport system and recreational
facilities for
di
fferent age groups
.
However, not all
coasta
l
areas are s
u
i
t
able for beach tourism or
recreation.
Muddy beaches or those
with narrow strip
or high tide are inimical to development as
r
esort.
Beach beautification is enhanced by both hard and soft
landscaping elements which include inorganic
elements (roads, paths, sculptures, statues, buildings,
etc) as hard landscaping materials, and organic or
natural elements (ornamental plants such as trees) as
soft landscaping elements.
3 The Study Area
Lokoja is both the capital city and a Local Government
Area in Kogi State which is located in the North Central
Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. It lies on 7°49′N and
6°45′E with a population of 195,261 at the 2006
census (NPC, 2006). Lokoja is one of the oldest
cities in Nigeria which enjoyed a great deal of
prominence as a trading port city during the boom of
European commercial activities in the 1950s and
essentially as a confluence city. Lokoja has a
heterogeneous population which includes the Yoruba,
Igala, Ebira, Oworo and Hausa tribes among others. It
is approximately 162 kilometres from Abuja, the
Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and covers an area
of about 3,180 square kilometres. Major occupations
are farming and fishing. The Confluence Beach was
established in 1992 along Gannaja-Ajaokuta road to
meet the need for tourism, recreation and leisure
activity. Figure 1 shows the location of Kogi State in
Nigeria while Figure 2 shows the location of Lokoja
Local Government Area in Kogi State. Figure 3 shows
the site of the Lokoja Confluence Beach.
Figure 1 Map of Nigeria showing the location of Kogi State
Note: Source: Kogi State Ministry of Land and Environment, 2008