Bayelsa State

Bayelsa State is in the South-South region of Nigeria, at the heart of the Niger Delta. Created in 1996 from Rivers State, it is one of the newest states in Nigeria. The state capital is Yenagoa. Bayelsa covers 10,773 km² and borders Rivers State to the east, Delta State to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.^[5]

The state has eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass, and Southern Ijaw. With an estimated 2024 population of about 3.7 million, it is the least populous state in Nigeria.

The state is the ancestral homeland of the Ijaw people, who later spread to other areas. Other groups such as the Urhobo are also native to parts of the state, particularly Sagbama. Languages spoken include Ijaw, Ogbia, Nembe, and Epie, along with Igbo, Isoko, and Urhobo.

Bayelsa’s economy relies mainly on petroleum. The state is home to the Oloibiri Oilfield in Oloibiri Town, Ogbia Local Government Area, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria. Bayelsa produces about 30–40% of the country’s oil and also holds Nigeria’s largest gas reserves, estimated at 18 trillion cubic feet.^[6]

Despite its natural wealth, the state struggles with poverty and pollution from oil spills.^[7][8] The creation of Bayelsa in 1996 was the result of long-standing Ijaw nationalist movements that had, since the 1940s, pushed for an Ijaw-majority state. Its name comes from the initials of three LGAs: Brass (BALGA), Yenagoa (YELGA), and Sagbama (SALGA).