Bayelsa State Explained

Bayelsa
Settlement Type:State
Flag Size:120px
Nickname:"Glory of all lands"
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Nigeria
Subdivision Type2:Geopolitical Zone
Subdivision Name2:South South
Established Title:Created
Established Date:1 October 1996
Seat Type:Capital
Seat:Yenagoa
Governing Body:Government of Bayelsa State
Leader Party:PDP
Leader Title:Governor
Leader Name:Douye Diri
Leader Name1:Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo (PDP)
Leader Title2:Legislature
Leader Name2:Bayelsa State House of Assembly
Leader Title3:Senators
Leader Name3:

Leader Title4:Representatives
Leader Name4:List
Area Total Km2:10,773
Area Rank:27th
Population Total:1,704,515[1]
Population As Of:2006 census
Population Est:2,537,400[2]
Pop Est As Of:2022
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Demonym:Bayelsan
Population Note:Ranked 36th
Area Code:+234
Area Code Type:Dialing Code
Iso Code:NG-BY
Demographics Type1:GDP (PPP)
Demographics1 Title1:Year
Demographics1 Info1:2021
Demographics1 Title2:Total
Demographics1 Info2:$29.97 billion[3]
9th of 36
Demographics1 Title3:Per capita
Demographics1 Info3:$11,379
2nd of 36
Blank Name Sec2:HDI (2021)
Blank Info Sec2:0.651[4]
· 4th of 37

Bayelsa state is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta.[5] Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State,[6] making it one of the newest states in the federation.[7] The capital, Yenagoa, is susceptible to high risk of annual flooding.[8] It shares a boundary with Rivers State to the east and Delta State to the north across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean dominating its southern borders.[6] [9] [10] It has a total area of 10773km2. The state comprises eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw. The state is the smallest in Nigeria by population as of the 2006 census.[11] 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.[12]

The languages of the Ijaw are widely spoken in Bayelsa State, along with Isoko and Urhobo.[13] 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.[14]

As a state in the oil-rich Niger Delta, Bayelsa State's economy is dominated by the petroleum industry.[15] [16] The state is the site of Oloibiri Oilfield, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria, and as of 2015 was estimated to produce 30-40% of the country's oil.[17] [18] The state has the largest gas reservoir (18 trillion cubic feet) in Nigeria.[19] Though being the site of one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in the country contributes to local economic development, the state remains plagued by rampant poverty as well as pollution stemming from oil spills.[20] [21] [22]

History

During the 20th century, demanding a new, majority-Ijaw state to be drawn in the Niger Delta 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 1960s who was born in Oloibiri, attempted to proclaim a "Niger Delta Peoples Republic" in 1966.[23] [24] [25] Bayelsa State was created out of Rivers State on 1 October 1996[26] by the Sani Abacha'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: Brass LGA (BALGA), Yenagoa LGA (YELGA) and Sagbama LGA (SALGA).[27]

On 20 November 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, Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, claims that nearly 2500 civilians were killed.[28] [29]

In response to environmental degradation in the state caused by the oil industry, movements such as the "Rise for Bayelsa[30] " campaign have emerged to push for protecting the local water supply.[31] In 2019, the Bayelsa State government launched the first formal inquiry into the crisis of oil pollution in the state.[32] [33]

Economy

Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in Nigeria.[34] [35] 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".[36]

Geography

Bayelsa has a riverine and estuarine setting.[37] 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 in the Niger Delta.[38]

Other important cities besides Yenagoa include Akassa, Lobia, Wilberforce Island (the location of the Bayelsa Airport), Amassoma and Ogobiri (the host communities of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Eniwari, Ekeremor, Aliebiri, Anyama-Ogbia, Anyama-Ijaw, Peretoru, Twon-Brass, Egwema-Brass, Kaiama, Nembe, Odi, Ogbia, Okpoama, Brass, Oporoma, Korokorosei, Otuan, Koroama, Okolobiri, Obunagha, Ogboloma, Sagbama, Olugbobiri, Peremabiri, Ekowe, and Swali.

The Akassa Lighthouse has stood since 1910.[39]

Climate

Bayelsa has a tropical monsoon climate with yearly temperature of 28.64 °C (83.55 °F) and it is -0.82% lower than Nigeria's averages. The state typically receives about 241.52 millimeters (9.51 inches) of precipitation and has 296.16 rainy days (81.14% of the time) annually.[40]

Bayelsa State has mostly received the effects of climate change due to environmental degradation and high level of carbon emissions.[41] [42]

The Bayelsa region experiences tropical monsoon weather. All year long, there are high temperatures and a lot of rain. In Bayelsa, the average annual temperature is 56 degrees, and there are roughly 675 inches of rain each year. With an average humidity of 82% and a UV-index of 6, it is dry for 47 days out of the year.[43]

Environmental issues

Soot pollution

This is a black hazardous carbonate substance that pollutes the area due to its illegal burning of crude oil (locally called Kpo-fire). This carcinogenic chemical causes illnesses such as lung cancer, skin irritation, allergies, respiratory tract infections, eye problem, etc. Its effect is also meted on the environment as it causes air pollution, soil pollution, water pollution which has led to the death of both plants, humans and animals.[44]

Flooding

This is a common annual problem in Bayelsa because it is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The rise of seawater is the major cause. The flooding has affected many communities, properties and human lives.[45] Almost all areas in Bayelsa state are affected by flooding but Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Sagbama, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Yenagoa areas of Bayelsa state are more prone to flooding as it affects these areas yearly.[46] Poor town planning is another major cause of flooding in Bayelsa State.[47]

As of August 2022, the state was stricken with a flood, displacing over 1.3 million people and destroying live stocks and properties.

Oil spillage

This is one of the major environmental issues in Bayelsa State due to the activities of major oil companies.[48] Oil spillage has affected farmlands, aquatic life and the health of the people.[49] Almost every day, 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 a farm or go fishing and have a very impressive harvest. You would spend hours in the water and have a handful of fish. Today, he added, you can spend the whole day without catching a glimpse of a fish.[50]

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 that has almost completely polluted the air in the areas.[51]

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 region.[50]

Natural resources

Bayelsa State's natural resources include:[52]

Mineral raw materials

Agro raw materials

Religion

The Catholic Church comprises parts of Bomadi Diocese (1991) https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbmdi.html under Bishop Hyacinth Oroko Egbebo (2009) https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/begbebo.html, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Benin City.

Transport

Major roads include the Isaac Adaka Boro Expressway 17 km north from Yenagoa to join A2 the Elele-Alimini-Patani East-West Rd east to Rivers State at Mbiama and northwest across the Forçados River to Delta State by the 850 m bridge (2014) at Patani.

Waterways are essential for transport as many communities are not accessible by road.

Bayelsa Cargo Airport on Wilberforce Island opened 2019, with international flights approved 2021.[54]

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.

Languages of Bayelsa State listed by LGA:[55]

LGA Languages
Abureni, Southeast Ijo, Ogbia, Kugbo
Izon
Kolokuma
Abureni, Nembe, Ijaw
Abureni, Southeast Ijo, Odual, Ogbia, Oruma
Buseni, Isoko, Izon, Ogbah, Okodia, Urhobo
Southeast Ijo, Izon
Engenni, Epie-Atissa, Izon, Ekpeye

Notable people

Diaspora

Due to massive overseas scholarship programs implemented by the old Rivers State in the 1970s and recent Bayelsa State governments, large numbers of Bayelsa professionals reside in Europe and North America. This is part of the general brain-drain trend affecting many African communities.

Education

The major tertiary institutions in Bayelsa state are:

Local Government Areas

See also: List of villages in Bayelsa State.

Bayelsa State consists of eight[81] local government areas:

Politics

The state government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state House of Assembly. The Capital city of the state is Yenagoa.[82]

Electoral system

The electoral system of Bayelsa state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the State's local government Areas. If no candidate passes the threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.

External links

4.75°N 11°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2006 PHC Priority Tables – National Population Commission. population.gov.ng. en-US. 2017-10-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20171010054745/http://population.gov.ng/core-activities/surveys/dataset/2006-phc-priority-tables/. 2017-10-10. dead.
  2. Web site: Bayelsa State: Subdivision . 2024-02-07 . www.citypopulation.de.
  3. Web site: 2022-10-13 . Okeowo . Gabriel . Fatoba . Iyanuoluwa . State of States 2022 Edition . 2023-03-07 . Budgit.org . BudgIT . 2022-10-13.
  4. Web site: Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. hdi.globaldatalab.org. en. 2018-09-13.
  5. Web site: Yenagoa Location, Facts, & Population. 2021-09-11. Encyclopedia Britannica. en.
  6. Web site: Rivers state Archives . 2022-03-06 . The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News . en-US.
  7. Web site: 2022-04-12 . About Bayelsa State, Nigeria. . 2022-10-01 . Media Nigeria . en-US.
  8. Oladimeji . O. E. . Ohwo . O. . 2022-05-03 . Assessment of Flood Risk and Mapping of Flood Risk Zones in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria . Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management . en . 26 . 2 . 219–226 . 10.4314/jasem.v26i2.7 . 248577549 . 2659-1502. free .
  9. Web site: 2019-03-18 . The Atlantic Ocean—facts and information . https://web.archive.org/web/20210411013138/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/atlantic-ocean . dead . 11 April 2021 . 2022-03-05 . Environment . en.
  10. Web site: Bayelsa – History & Culture – Bayelsa State Government. 2021-09-11. en-US.
  11. Web site: National Results . https://web.archive.org/web/20110519235026/http://www.population.gov.ng/files/nationafinal.pdf . 15 April 2024. 19 May 2011 .
  12. Web site: 2020-09-15. Bayelsa. 2021-09-10. Nigeria. en-GB.
  13. Web site: Background Report: The Destruction of Odi and Rape in Choba. 2021-09-10. www.hrw.org.
  14. Web site: Our Story. 2021-03-07. Indigenous People of Biafra USA. en-US.
  15. Web site: Bayelsa State Government – The Glory of all Lands . 2022-03-09 . en-US.
  16. Web site: Oil and Gas . 2022-10-01 . Invest Bayelsa . en-US.
  17. Web site: Industry History. 2021-03-09. nnpcgroup.com.
  18. Web site: Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State – Patterns and Trends, 2012-2014 The Fund for Peace. 2021-03-09. fundforpeace.org.
  19. Web site: 2019-01-07. Bayelsa State. 2021-09-11. Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. en-US.
  20. Web site: pollution Definition, History, Types, & Facts Britannica . 2022-03-09 . www.britannica.com . en.
  21. Web site: Nigeria's oil-rich Bayelsa State opens inquiry on spills. 2021-03-07. www.worldoil.com.
  22. Web site: 2019-12-06. 'This place used to be green': the brutal impact of oil in the Niger Delta. 2021-03-07. the Guardian. en.
  23. Book: T., Akinyele, R.. Isaac Adaka Boro : patriarch of minority activism in the Niger Delta. 2006. University of Lagos, Faculty of Arts. 978-075-054-1. 752210539.
  24. Web site: Overview of Bayelsa State. 2021-03-09. Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group. en-gb. 2021-04-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422103532/https://www.nigerdeltabudget.org/new/index.php/overview-of-bayelsa-state. dead.
  25. Book: Organ., Thomson Reuters Herausgebendes. Social sciences citation index.. 946102050.
  26. Web site: Bayelsa – History & Culture – Bayelsa State Government. 2022-02-11. en-US.
  27. Web site: Learn About Bayelsa State, Nigeria People, Local Government and Business Opportunities in Bayelsa. Overview of Nigeria NgEX. en. 2018-07-29.
  28. Web site: Trade and human rights in the Niger Delta Pambazuka News. 2021-03-09. www.pambazuka.org. 3 March 2016 .
  29. Web site: 2017-12-16. Odi massacre: Anyone with tribal marks on their chest was slaughtered, corpses littered everywhere –Bolou, former Bayelsa commissioner. 2021-09-10. Punch Newspapers. en-US.
  30. Web site: Rise for Bayelsa - Learn more of Bayelsa and her people . 2022-03-05 . Rise for Bayelsa . en.
  31. Web site: Rise for Bayelsa. 2021-03-07. SILVERFISH FILMS.. en-GB.
  32. Web site: Nigeria: Bayelsa state launches new inquiry into the environmental and human damage caused by oil spills in the Niger Delta. 2021-09-10. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. en.
  33. Web site: Nigeria's oil-rich Bayelsa State opens inquiry on spills. 2021-03-09. www.worldoil.com.
  34. Web site: 2019-04-23. Bayelsa woos oil, gas, other investors. 2021-09-17. Vanguard News. en-US.
  35. Web site: 2019-04-23. Bayelsa woos oil, gas, other investors. 2021-09-11. Vanguard News. en-US.
  36. Web site: Ikein. Augustine. 2004. Economic Development Agenda for Bayelsa State of Nigeria: An Advisor's Opinion. live. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa. https://web.archive.org/web/20090107143811/http://www.jsd-africa.com/Jsda/spring2004/articlepdf/Arc%20-%20Ikein%201.pdf . 2009-01-07 .
  37. Web site: Overview of Bayelsa . Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group . 30 May 2023.
  38. Web site: 76 . Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forestry Assessment . USAID . June 2008 . 2010-09-18.
  39. Web site: Since 1910, a Lighthouse in the Creeks . Folio Nigeria . 17 August 2020.
  40. Web site: Bayelsa, NG Climate Zone, Monthly Weather Averages and Historical Data . 2023-06-30 . tcktcktck.org.
  41. Web site: Bayelsa Most Affected By Climate Change Due to Environmental Degradation, Says Diri - THISDAYLIVE . 2023-06-30 . www.thisdaylive.com.
  42. Web site: Igoni . Daniels . 2022-10-25 . Flood: Atiku gives Bayelsa N55m, says climate change real . 2023-06-30 . Punch Newspapers . en-US.
  43. Web site: Bayelsa weather and climate ☀️ Best time to visit ️ Temperature . 2023-08-24 . www.besttravelmonths.com . en.
  44. Web site: 2021-12-28 . Anxiety as strange black soot envelops Yenagoa . 2022-04-01 . Vanguard News . en-US.
  45. Web site: Report . Agency . 2018-09-16 . Flood hits Bayelsa communities, settlements, renders many homeless . 2022-10-01 . Premium Times Nigeria . en-GB.
  46. Web site: 2020-09-09 . Diri faults NEMA's report, insists entire Bayelsa is flood prone . 2022-04-04 . Vanguard News . en-US.
  47. Web site: News Express . Environmentalists identify cause of flooding in Yenagoa . News Express.
  48. Web site: Nwafor . 2021-11-27 . Oil spill: We can't breathe, we're dying of hunger — Bayelsa communities lament . 2022-10-01 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  49. Web site: 2021-11-27 . Oil spill: We can't breathe, we're dying of hunger — Bayelsa communities lament . 2022-03-25 . Vanguard News . en-US.
  50. Web site: 2019-12-06 . 'This place used to be green': the brutal impact of oil in the Niger Delta . 2022-03-25 . the Guardian . en.
  51. Web site: 2022-01-05 . Soot pollution in Rivers, Bayelsa: All hands must be on deck . 2022-03-25 . Vanguard News . en-US.
  52. Web site: Ikenwa . Chizoba . 2020-01-13 . List of Natural Mineral Resources Found in Bayelsa State . 2023-01-06 . Nigerian Infopedia . en-US.
  53. Web site: Jeremiah . Urowayino . 2019-04-23 . Bayelsa woos oil, gas, other investors . 2023-01-06 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  54. [Yenagoa]
  55. News: Nigeria. Ethnologue. 22. 2020-01-10.
  56. News: Diezani Alison-Madueke scored another firs - Vanguard News. 2014-12-02. Vanguard News. 2018-07-30. en-US.
  57. Web site: Noah Bazee biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture. 2021-09-12. www.manpower.com.ng.
  58. Web site: Who Killed Adaka Boro. www.gamji.com. 2018-07-30.
  59. News: TIMI DAKOLO. PraiseMaMa.com. 2018-07-30. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730110833/https://praisemama.com/artists/timi-dakolo/. 2018-07-30. dead.
  60. Web site: Edmund Daukoru. www.gamji.com. 2018-07-30.
  61. Web site: Former Military Governor Diete-Spiff Reflects On Background Problems of the Invasion. Society. Urhobo Historical. www.waado.org. 2018-07-30.
  62. Web site: Hon. Douye Diri biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture. 2021-09-12. www.manpower.com.ng.
  63. Web site: Tamara Eteimo biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture. 2021-09-12. www.manpower.com.ng.
  64. News: ETETE, Chief Dan Lauzia. 2017-02-03. Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. 2018-07-30. en-US.
  65. News: Nigeria: Eagles, Black Stars Will Survive Group Stage -Finidi. 2010-03-24. This Day (Lagos). 2018-07-30.
  66. News: DANIEL IGALI - From obscurity to wrestling stardom - The Nation Nigeria. 2016-07-03. The Nation Nigeria. 2018-07-30. en-US.
  67. News: Unsung heroes of independence - The Nation Nigeria. 2015-10-02. The Nation Nigeria. 2018-07-30. en-US.
  68. Web site: Biography The Office of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. www.gej.ng. en-US. 2018-07-30.
  69. Web site: Present Nigerian Ministers and their portfolios. Falae, Vivian. legit.ng. March 2017 .
  70. Web site: Ben Murray-Bruce biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture. 2021-09-12. www.manpower.com.ng.
  71. Web site: Ogborodi Appointed Acting NECO Registrar After Obioma's Death. Egba. Abdullahi. Channels TV. 3 June 2021. 3 June 2021.
  72. News: Gabriel Okara Nigerian author. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2018-07-30. en.
  73. News: How Governor Melford Okilo Discovered Olumba Olumba Brotherhood - Brand Campaign. 2016-09-14. Brand Campaign. 2018-07-30. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730110918/https://www.brandcampaign.com.ng/governor-melford-okilo-discovered-olumba-olumba/. 2018-07-30. dead.
  74. Web site: Ebinabo Potts-Johnson biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture. 2021-09-12. www.manpower.com.ng.
  75. News: Bayelsa honours Samson SIasia, others. 2018-05-18. Premium Times Nigeria. 2018-07-30. en-GB.
  76. Web site: Masquerades and Jokers as Governors in Bayelsa State. www.gamji.com. 2018-07-30.
  77. 2011-09-28. Afrotainment-Museke Online African Music Awards 2011. 3-mob.com.
  78. Web site: Owei . David . THEWILL . 2022-12-14 . Racketeering Rocks Bayelsa Medical University . 2023-01-06 . thewillnigeria.com . en-US.
  79. Web site: 2022-10-20 . FUOTUOKE Resumption Date for Academic Activities 2020/2021 . 2023-01-06 . InfoGuideNigeria.com . en-US.
  80. Web site: Jeremiah . Urowayino . 2022-04-20 . Former NICO CEO appointed UAT DVC . 2023-01-06 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  81. Web site: Bayelsa – History & Culture – Bayelsa State Government . 2022-03-13 . en-US.
  82. Web site: Oguntola . Tunde . 2022-09-27 . 2023: Next President, Govs Must Get Two-thirds Spread, Says INEC . 2023-02-23 . en-US.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bayelsa State".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.