tributary of the Benue River, rising in the Jos Plateau of east-central Nigeria. It flows southward for 95 miles (150 km) to meet the Benue River at Ibi. Its seasonally flooded plains (fadamas) support large-scale rice production. The Shemanker rises suddenly after rains on the plateau, and in the wet season fording can be dangerous. Swamplands cover large areas of the fadamas, but savanna woodlands predominate. Towns in the river valley include Shendam, Shemanker, and Ikputu.