Bayelsa is one of the states in the South-South region of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, located in the core of the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

region. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa ...

, making it one of the newest states in the

federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

. Yenagoa is the capital city of Bayelsa State with most parts to have fallen within the high-risk of floods, suspects to occur annually. It shares a boundary with

to the East and Delta State to the west, with the waters of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

dominating its southern borders. It has a total area of 10, 773 km2. The state comprises eight Local

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

Areas. they are Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia,

Sagbama Sagbama is a Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, Southern part of Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Sagbama. Part of the area of the LGA lies within the Bayelsa National Forest. It has an area of 945 km and a population of ...

Brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

and Southern Ijaw. The state shares borders with Rivers State, of which it was formerly part, and Delta State. Ijaw, language is widely spoken in Bayelsa State also Isoko and Urhobo speak within their ancestral towns in the state. It is also the ancestral home of the Urhobo people in the Sagbama local government area. The state is the smallest in Nigeria by

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of the 2006 census, as well as one of the smallest by

area Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an ope ...

. Being in the

region, Bayelsa State has a riverine and estuarine setting, with bodies of water within the state preventing the development of significant road infrastructure. As a state in the oil-rich Niger Delta the Bayelsa State's economy is dominated by the

petroleum industry The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The large ...

. The state is the site of Oloibiri Oilfield, where oil was first discovered in

, and as of 2015 was estimated to produce 30-40% of the country's oil. The state nicknamed “Glory of all Lands” has the largest gas reservoir (18 trillion cubic feet) in

. Though being the site of one of the largest crude oil and

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

deposits in the country contributes to local

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

, the state remains plagued by rampant poverty as well as

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

stemming from

oil spills An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

. Politics Douye Diri is the governor of Bayelsa State, while Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo the Deputy Governor of the State.

Location

Bayelsa is one of the states in southern part of Nigeria, located in the core of Niger Delta region. Bayelsa was carved out from Rivers state, making it one of the newest states in Federation. Bayelsa shares a boundary with Rivers state to the East and Delta state to the West, with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean dominating its Southern borders.

History

During the 20th century, demands for a new, majority-Ijaw state to be drawn in the

Region became common. Between 1941 and 1956, numerous Ijaw nationalist organizations supportive of an Ijaw-majority state in Southern Nigeria were founded. Isaac Adaka Boro, a prominent Ijaw rights activist during the 1960's who was born in Oloibiri, attempted to proclaim a "Niger Delta Peoples Republic" in 1966. Bayelsa State was created out of Rivers State on October 1, 1996 by the

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...

's military government. Its name was derived from the first few letters of the names of the major local government areas from which it was formed:

LGA (BALGA), Yenagoa LGA (YELGA) and Sagbama LGA (SALGA). On November 20, 1999, the Nigerian military committed what is now referred to as the Odi massacre. The death toll remains disputed to this day, though

Nnimmo Bassey Nnimmo Bassey (born 11 June 1958) is a Nigerian architect, environmental activist, author and poet, who chaired Friends of the Earth International from 2008 through 2012 and was executive director of Environmental Rights Action for two decades. H ...

, Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, claims that nearly 2500

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not " combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant ...

s were killed. In response to environmental degradation in the state caused by the

oil industry The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The larges ...

, movements such as the "Rise for Bayelsa" campaign have emerged to push for protecting the local water supply. In 2019, the Bayelsa State government launched the first formal inquiry into the crisis of oil pollution in the state.

Economy

Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and

deposits in Nigeria. As a result,

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

production is substantial in the state. Even though Bayelsa State is well-endowed with natural resources, the state "enjoys very minimal dividends from its oil wealth due to the structural inequities in the national revenue allocation system in the practice of fiscal federalism in the country".

Geography

Bayelsa has a riverine and estuarine setting. Many communities are almost (and in some cases) surrounded by water, making them inaccessible by road. The state is home to the Edumanom Forest Reserve, in June 2008 the last known site for

chimpanzees The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...

in the Niger Delta. Other important cities besides Yenagoa include Akassa, Lobia, Amassoma (the home of the Niger Delta University), Eniwari, Ekeremor, Aliebiri, Peretoru, Twon-Brass, Egwema-Brass,

Kaiama Kaiama is a Local Government Area and town in northwestern Kwara State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kaiama. Description Kaiama LGA has an area of 6,971km and a population of 124,164 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the a ...

, Nembe, Odi, Ogbia, Okpoama,

, Oporoma, Korokorosei, Otuan, Koroama, Okolobiri, Obunagha, Ogboloma,

, Olugbobiri, Peremabiri, Ekowe, and Swali. The Akassa Lighthouse has stood since 1910.

Languages

The main language spoken is Ijaw with dialects such as Kolokuma, Nembe, Epie-Atissa, and Ogbia. Like the rest of Nigeria, English is the

official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...

. Languages of Bayelsa State listed by LGA: Izon-tubos

Environmental Issues

Soot pollution

This is a black hazardous

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid (H2CO3), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word ''carbonate'' may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate ...

substance that pollute the area due to its illegal burning of crude oil(locally called Kpo-fire). This

carcinogenic A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subs ...

chemical causes illnesses such as

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

, skin irritation,

allergies Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermat ...

respiratory tract infection Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are infectious diseases involving the respiratory tract. An infection of this type usually is further classified as an upper respiratory tract infection (URI or URTI) or a lower respiratory tract infection (LRI ...

s, eye problem etc. Its effect is also meted on the environment as it causes

air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different typ ...

, soil pollution,

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...

which has led to the death of both plants, humans and animals.

Flooding

This is a common annual problem in Bayelsa because it is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The rise of sea water is the major cause. The flooding has affected many communities, properties and human lives. Almost all areas in Bayelsa state are affected by flooding but Ekeremor,

Southern Ijaw Southern Ijaw is a Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Southern part of Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Oporoma (or Osokoma) in the north of the area at . The area has a coastline of approximately 60 km on the Bight of Benin. ...

, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Yenagoa areas of Bayelsa state are more prone to flooding as it affects these areas yearly. Poor town planning is another major causes of flooding in Bayelsa State. As of August 2022 the state was stricken with flood, resulting to the displacement of over 1.3 million people destroying live stocks and properties.

Oil spillage

This is one of the major environmental issue in Bayelsa State due to the activities of major oil companies. Oil spillage has affected farmlands, aquatic life and the health of the people. Almost everyday, Udengs Eradiri is informed of another oil spill in Bayelsa state, in the Niger Delta. He said Bayelsa used to be green, you could go to farm or fish and have a very impressive harvest. You would spend just some hours in the water and you have a handful of fish. Today, he added, you can spend the whole day without catching a glimpse of a fish. Another major environmental issue in Bayelsa state is air pollution(SOOT). Today, many people in Bayelsa state lament that they cannot breathe due to the exposure of emissions of soot, a hazardous black

amorphous carbon Amorphous carbon is free, reactive carbon that has no crystalline structure. Amorphous carbon materials may be stabilized by terminating dangling-π bonds with hydrogen. As with other amorphous solids, some short-range order can be observed. Amor ...

that has almost completely polluted the air in the areas. However, stakeholders in the affected areas had in 2018 reportedly initiated a campaign with the common refrain; "Save Rivers from this soot of death", in the

Rivers state Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa ...

region.

Notable people

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha (DSP) (16 November 1952 – 10 October 2015) was a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Bayelsa State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 9 December 2005. Background Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was born on 16 Novem ...

, was a former Nigerian politician and Governor of Bayelsa State *

Diezani Alison-Madueke Diezani K. Alison-Madueke (born 6 December 1960) is a Nigerian politician and the first female President of OPEC. She was elected at the 166th OPEC Ordinary meeting in Vienna on 27 November 2014. She became Nigeria's minister of transportation ...

, Minister of Solid Minerals, Transport and Petroleum resources * MC Aproko, stand-up comedian * Owoye Andrew Azazi, Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria), Chief of Defense Staff under President

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its presid ...

and National Security Adviser under President

Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)Lawson Heyford, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to fo ...

. * Noah Sarenren Bazee a professional footballer who plays for

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...

side Hannover 96. * Isaac Adaka Boro, Nigerian Civil War hero (Nigerian Army) * Timi Dakolo, musical artist *

Edmund Daukoru Edmund Maduabebe Daukoru (born 13 October 1943) is a former Nigerian Minister of State for Energy and was Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2006. He became the Amayanabo, or traditional ruler, of ...

, Nigerian Minister of State for Energy and was Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in 2006, HRM * Henry Seriake Dickson, former governor and politician *

Alfred Diete-Spiff Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff (born 30 July 1942) was the first Military Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria after it was created from part of the old Eastern Region, Nigeria. He held office from May 1967 until July 1975 during the military administr ...

, former governor of Rivers State, HRM *Senator Douye Diri is a businessman, politician and lawmaker. He is the current governor of

Bayelsa State Bayelsa is one of the states in the South-South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. Yena ...

. *

Tamara Eteimo Tamara Eteimo (born July 24, 1987) also known by her stage name Tamara Jones, is a Nigerian R&B singer-songwriter and Actor. Since her Nollywood film debut in 2011, right after she won the seventh edition of the '' Next Movie Star'' reality sho ...

also known by her stage name Tamara from Angiama, Southern Ijaw local government of Bayelsa state. She is a Nigerian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. * Dan Etete Minister Minister Petroleum resources *

Finidi George George Finidi (born 15 April 1971), known as Finidi George, is a Nigerian professional football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Nigeria Professional Football League club Enyimba F.C. As a player, he played as a righ ...

, Super Eagles player *

Daniel Igali Baraladei Daniel Igali (born February 3, 1974 in Eniwari, Bayelsa State, Nigeria) is a Canadian freestyle wrestler who is an Olympic gold medallist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia. Wrestling career As captain of the Nigerian wrestling tea ...

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Olympic gold medalist and world wrestling champion * Ernest Ikoli, journalist and pre-independence freedom fighter *

, former President of Nigeria * Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Agriculture *Senator Ben Murray-Bruce represents Bayelsa East Senatorial District at the National Assembly. From Akassa in Bayelsa State of Nigeria. * Ebikibina Ogborodi, acting registrar of NECO *

Gabriel Okara Gabriel Imomotimi Okara (24 April 1921 – 25 March 2019) was a Nigerian poet and novelist who was born in Bumoundi in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The first modernist poet of Anglophone Africa, he is best known for his early experimental ...

, novelist and poet * Melford Okilo, governor of Rivers State * Kemebradikumo Pondei, acting managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission * Ebinabo Potts-Johnson was born in Bayelsa state, she is a model and actress. *

Samson Siasia Samson Siasia (born 14 August 1967) is a Nigerian former professional football striker and the former head coach of the Nigeria national team from 2010 to October 2011. He was reappointed in 2016. On 16 August 2019, FIFA banned Siasia from all ...

, Super Eagles player and Coach * Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa state, current Nigeria Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. *

Timaya Inetimi Timaya Odon (born 15 August 1980), better known by his stage name Timaya, is a multiple award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter. He hails from Odi, Bayelsa state, South-South Nigeria. He is fondly called the Egberi Papa 1 of Bayels ...

, musical artist * Patience Torlowei, fashion designer and artist

Diaspora

Due to massive overseas scholarship programs implemented by the old

in the 1970s and recent Bayelsa State governments, large numbers of Bayelsan professionals reside in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and North America. This is part of the general

brain-drain Human capital flight is the emigration or immigration of individuals who have received advanced training at home. The net benefits of human capital flight for the receiving country are sometimes referred to as a "brain gain" whereas the net co ...

trend affecting many African communities.

Education

The major tertiary institutions in Bayelsa state are: * Niger Delta University * Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education * College of Health Sciences * School of Nursing * Bayelsa State College of Arts and Science * Bayelsa Medical University * University of Africa * Federal Polytechnic Ekeowe * International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality * Federal University Otuoke

Local Government Areas

Bayelsa State consists of eight local government areas: *

* Ekeremor * Kolokuma/Opokuma * Nembe * Ogbia *

* Yenagoa

References

External links

Bayelsa State Government HomepageBayelsa State at OnlineNigeria.comExperience Bayelsa Arts and Culture / Visitors GuideBayelsa Council for Arts & CultureAdaka Boro Centre

Azaiki Public Library, Yenagoa
{{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria States and territories established in 1996 1996 establishments in Nigeria