Kagoro

Kagoro, also known as Gworok, is a large town in the southern part of Kaduna State, in North West Nigeria. Gworok is attractive for tourists because of its mountainous scenery and cultural events such as the Afan Festival, a national festival which is celebrated annually on 1 January.

Understand

Kagoro or Gworok is one of the towns in Southern Kaduna that had been independent until it got subjugated in the early 20th century by the British colonial troops, but not by warefare. It also happens to be the seat of one of the oldest chiefdoms in the area.

The town is a large one, mostly composed of rocky terrains with natural flowing water bodies like rivers and streams, surrounding it.

The people of the town (the Agworok, also spelt Oegworok) speak Gworok, one of the dialects of the Tyap language cluster.

Climate

Kagoro is renowned for its cool weather and high altitude. Tropical, with frequent rainstorms. The driest time of year - when the Falls may be just a trickle - is from December to April.

Get in

Kagoro is 210 km southeast of Kaduna, about 3 hours by car, or US$80 by taxi (2021).

It is 80 km west of Jos, or about 1 hr 45 min by car, and 220 km northeast of Abuja, 3 hr 40 min by car.

Kagoro also has an airstrip, active during the colonial period, which for some reason or the other had gone out of use today.

Get around

See

The town is renowned for its pristine mountainous scenery and has dozens of churches.

Afan Agworog (Kagoro Mountain), Near Agban, 801133, Kagoro (H9PR+F27 Kagoro), 9.5862°, 8.3900°. Take a trip up the Akǝtǝn (Peak) of the mountain), to view the entire town and get to see the next town of Kafanchan from the tops of the cloud-covered peak. Please note that it could take a whole day to get up and come down. You have to be physically fit to do so. You would also need hunter guides to go up with you to help you climb the sliding parts of the mountain. 2023-01-19
Agwam Agworok's Palace (Kagoro Chief's Palace), Ucyio, Kagoro, 9.6063°, 8.3925°. Constructed in the mid-1940s by one of the longest serving paramount rulers in Africa, Dr. Gwamna Awan (reigned 1945-2008). 2023-01-27
Gwamna Awan's Tomb, Ucyio, Kagoro, 9.6065°, 8.3923°. Tomb of one of the longest serving paramount rulers in Africa, Dr. Gwamna Awan. 2023-01-27
Katangwan's Footprints, Uza, Kagoro. Katangwan Mungwob, the giant whose foot prints litter the rock top said to be his home, right beside the Gworog mountain. 2023-01-27
Matsirga Waterfalls, 9.614167°, 8.31099°. The waterfall has its source from the springs on Kagoro hills which cascade from four different hollows of about 25-m rock cliff to form a large pool at its bottom. Matsirga waterfalls, otherwise known by the natives as Ka̱byiek Tityong or River Wonderful, is located betwixt Batadon and Aduwan V, in Kafanchan. The smaller settlement of Batadon (H.: Madakiya) is negotiable by foot. Trips up to the Falls, however, will be in a dugout canoe, or bike. The 30-minute or so walk from the closest point on the river to the base of the falls is not easy going because of large tree roots on the path - take sports shoes or kicking boots for this hike. 2021-05-15

Do

Afan National Festival (Kagoro Day), Ucyio (Fada) (J95V+277 Kagoro,), 9.6075°, 8.3932°. New Year's Day. One of the main attractions of Kagoro is the Afan National Festival. It showcases the cultural heritage of Southern Kaduna and the central Nigerian plateau, marking the end of the annual grain harvest and the beginning of hunting expeditions. 2023-01-20
Mini Stadium, Kukum (J92H+GJ6 Kagoro), 9.6013°, 8.3790°. Go watch a football match. 2023-01-28

Buy

Gworok is a community that is known for agricultural activities, so most of the grains you know you can get them from the community at a subsidised rates. The major occupation of the community is farming.

Kagoro Market, Kpak (JC83+MWG, 801113, Kagoro, Kaduna), 9.6167°, 8.4048°. 2023-01-27

Eat

Rice and ginger juice

Drink

Learn

Sleep

Kagoro Monai Motel & Garden, Ucyio (Fada) (J97V+RCW, Along Kaduna Road, Fadan Kagoro), 9.6143°, 8.3933°. One of the largest and oldest visitor accommodations in the town. 2023-01-27
Labesta Guest House, Ucyio (Fada), 9.6054°, 8.3962°. 2023-02-14
Palm Garden Hotel, Ucyio (Fada) (J97R+MVF, Water Board Road, Kagoro), 9.6142°, 8.3922°. 2023-01-27
Bashonshon Motel, Ucyio (Fada) (GC8M+M8P, Fada Kagoro, Kagoro, Kaura), 9.6149°, 8.3936°. 2023-01-27

Connect

Cellular networks like MTN, Glo, 9mobile and Airtel are used here. The network strengths vary from one part of the town to the other.

Go next

Jos - capital of Plateau State
Kafanchan - the economic capital of Southern Kaduna
Samaru Kataf - junction town linking Kagoro to Zonkwa and Zangon Kataf
Zangon Kataf - seat of the Agwatyap and home or the Ayet Atyap annual festival

Kagoro - town in Nigeria