Provenance Study of A Section of The Lokoja ‎Sandstone,Southern Bida Basin, North-Central ‎Nigeria

This study investigates the provenance and depositional environment of the Lokoja Sandstone in the Southern Bida Basin, North-Central ‎Nigeria. The purpose is to determine the compositional maturity, textural characteristics, and source terrain of the sandstone using integrated ‎granulometric and petrographic analyses. Four stratigraphic sections were logged along the Lokoja–Abuja expressway, with representative ‎sandstone samples collected and analyzed. Grain size distribution was assessed through dry sieve analysis, and statistical parameters—mean ‎size, sorting, skewness, and kurtosis were calculated. Thin-section petrography was conducted to evaluate mineral composition and sediment maturity.‎ The results show that the sandstone is predominantly coarse- to medium-grained, poorly sorted, and positively skewed, with kurtosis values ‎ranging from mesokurtic to leptokurtic—characteristics typical of high-energy fluvial environments. Petrographic analysis reveals a dominance of monocrystalline quartz (87%), with moderate feldspar (12%) and trace muscovite (1%), classifying the sandstone as subarkosic. ‎The presence of subangular grains and feldspar suggests limited chemical weathering.‎ In conclusion, the Lokoja Sandstone was deposited in a braided river system under variable flow conditions and sourced from the ‎rounding Precambrian Basement Complex. These findings contribute to a better understanding of sediment dispersal and tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Southern Bida Basin‎.