Bayelsa is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State was created out of Rivers State on October 1, 1996 by the Sani Abacha’s military government. The capital, Yenagoa, is susceptible to high risk of flooding which happens annually. The state derived its name from the first few letters of the names of the major local government areas from which it was formed: Brass LGA (BALGA), Yenagoa LGA (YELGA) and Sagbama LGA (SALGA).

The state has a total area of 10,773 square kilometres (4,159 sq mi), and comprises of eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw. Bayelsa state is the smallest state in Nigeria by population as of the 2006 census.

History Of All States In Nigeria

Being in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa State has a riverine and estuarine setting, with bodies of water within the state preventing the development of significant road infrastructure. The state is the primary home for the Ijaws, their ancestral home. The state is also the ancestral home of the Urhobo people in the Sagbama local government area. The languages widely spoken in Bayelsa State are Ijaw, along with Isoko and Urhobo.

Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in Nigeria.[36][37] As a result, petroleum 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”.

All Nigerian States And The State They Share Borders With