Loko people

Loko
Landogo

A Loko stonemason and carpenter near Gbendembu
Total population
( Sierra Leone: 144,000 (2% of country))
Regions with significant populations
Bombali, Port Loko, Western Area
Languages
Native: Loko Other: Krio, Temne, Mende, Sierra Leone English
Religion
Islam 70℅, Christianity 20%, Indigenous beliefs 10%
Related ethnic groups
Mende, Loma, Gbandi, Kpelle, Zialo, Gola

The Loko (pronounced Lɔkɔ) are one of the indigenous ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. Landogo is used as an endonym for the people and language, but other groups refer to them as Loko. They speak a Southwestern Mande language that is also called Loko. The majority of the Loko people live in the Northern Province of the country, particularly in Bombali and Port Loko District, and around the capital city of Freetown in communities such as Regent. Important regional towns include Tambiama, Kalangba, and Gbendembu, though other groups such as the Mandingo, Fula and Temne peoples live there too.

The Loko belong to the larger group of Mande peoples who live throughout West Africa. The Loko are mostly farmers and hunters. Loko believe that most humanistic and scientific power is passed down through the secret societies, such as the Kpangbani.

The Loko were among the slaves shipped to North America while slavery still existed. The Loko were one of the largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone during the colonial era, but their linguistic identity has declined since then, as many Loko children use Temne and Krio and those in the south use Mende in place of their language.