Bayelsa
Smoke from oil flare, Nembe Creek
Smoke from oil flare, Nembe Creek
Flag of Bayelsa
Official seal of Bayelsa
Nicknames: 
Location of Bayelsa State in Nigeria
Location of Bayelsa State in Nigeria
CountryNigeria
Geopolitical ZoneSouth South
Created1 October 1996
CapitalYenagoa
Government
  BodyGovernment of Bayelsa State
  GovernorDouye Diri (PDP)
  Deputy GovernorLawrence Ewhrudjakpo (PDP)
  LegislatureBayelsa State House of Assembly
  SenatorsC: Moses Cleopas (PDP)
E : Benson Sunday Agadaga (PDP)
W: Henry Seriake Dickson (PDP)
  RepresentativesList
Area
  Total10,773 km2 (4,159 sq mi)
  Rank27th
Population
 (2006 census)
  Total1,704,515[1]
 Ranked 35th
DemonymBayelsan
GDP (PPP)
  Year2021
  Total$29.97 billion[2]
9th of 36
  Per capita$11,379[2]
2nd of 36
Dialing Code+234
ISO 3166 codeNG-BY
HDI (2021)0.651[3]
medium · 4th of 37

Bayelsa is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta.[4][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[6] 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[9] dominating its southern borders.[10][5] It has a total area of 10,773 square kilometres (4,159 sq mi).[11] The state comprises eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw.[5] The state is the smallest in Nigeria by population[12] as of the 2006 census. 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.[13]

The languages of the Ijaw[14] are widely spoken in Bayelsa State, along with Isoko and Urhobo. 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.[15]

As a state in the oil-rich Niger Delta, Bayelsa State's economy is dominated by the petroleum industry.[16][17] The state is the site of Oloibiri Oilfield, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria,[18] and as of 2015 was estimated to produce 30-40% of the country's oil.[19] The state has the largest gas reservoir (18 trillion cubic feet) in Nigeria.[20] 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[21] stemming from oil spills.[22][23]

As of 2022, Douye Diri is the governor of Bayelsa State, while Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo is the deputy governor.[24]

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.[25][26][27] Bayelsa State was created out of Rivers State on October 1, 1996[28] 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).[29]

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, Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, claims that nearly 2500 civilians were killed.[30][31]

In response to environmental degradation in the state caused by the oil industry, movements such as the "Rise for Bayelsa[32]" campaign have emerged to push for protecting the local water supply.[33] In 2019, the Bayelsa State government launched the first formal inquiry into the crisis of oil pollution in the state.[34][35]

Economy

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".[38]

Geography

Bayelsa has a riverine and estuarine setting.[39] 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.[40]

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.[41]

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.[42]

Bayelsa State has mostly received the effects of Climate Change due to Environmental degradation and high level of Carbon emissions.[43][44]

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.[45]

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).[46] 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.[47]

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.[48] 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.[49] Poor town planning is another major cause of flooding in Bayelsa State.[50]

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.[51] Oil spillage has affected farmlands, aquatic life and the health of the people.[52] 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 fish 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.[53]

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.[46]

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.[53]

Natural resources

Bayelsa State's natural resources include:[54]

Mineral raw materials

Agro raw materials

Religion

The Catholic Church comprises parts of Bomadi Diocese (1991) under Bishop Hyacinth Oroko Egbebo (2009) , 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.[56]

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:[57]

Ekeremor, Bayelsa State
LGALanguages
BrassAbureni, Southeast Ijo, Ogbia, Kugbo
EkeremorIzon
Kolokuma OpokumaKolokuma
NembeAbureni, Nembe, Ijaw
OgbiaAbureni, Southeast Ijo, Odual, Ogbia, Oruma
SagbamaBuseni, Isoko, Izon, Ogbah, Okodia, Urhobo
Southern IjawSoutheast Ijo, Izon
YenagoaEngenni, 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:

Burning Gas Flare Nembe Creek, Nigeria

Local Government Areas

Bayelsa State consists of eight[85] 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 Yenogoa.[86]

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.[86]

References

  1. "2006 PHC Priority Tables – National Population Commission". population.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  2. 1 2 Okeowo, Gabriel; Fatoba, Iyanuoluwa, eds. (2022-10-13). "State of States 2022 Edition" (PDF). Budgit.org. BudgIT. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. "Yenagoa | Location, Facts, & Population". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bayelsa – History & Culture – Bayelsa State Government". Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  6. 1 2 "Rivers state Archives". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  7. Nigeria, Media (2022-04-12). "About Bayelsa State, Nigeria". Media Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  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. 26 (2): 219–226. doi:10.4314/jasem.v26i2.7. ISSN 2659-1502. S2CID 248577549.
  9. "The Atlantic Ocean—facts and information". Environment. 2019-03-18. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  10. "Référence rapide des codes de la CITE-P et de la CITE-A dans la CITE 2011", Guide opérationnel CITE 2011, OECD, pp. 117–118, 2016-01-25, doi:10.1787/9789264248823-16-fr, ISBN 9789264248830, retrieved 2021-09-10
  11. "Citation Needed", Retcon Game, University Press of Mississippi, 2017-04-03, doi:10.14325/mississippi/9781496811325.003.0047, ISBN 9781496811325, retrieved 2022-09-01
  12. "Central Bank of Nigeria | Home". www.cbn.gov.ng. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  13. "Bayelsa". Nigeria. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  14. "Background Report: The Destruction of Odi and Rape in Choba". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  15. "Our Story". Indigenous People of Biafra USA. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  16. "Bayelsa State Government – The Glory of all Lands". Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  17. "Oil and Gas". Invest Bayelsa. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  18. "Industry History". nnpcgroup.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  19. "Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State – Patterns and Trends, 2012-2014 | The Fund for Peace". fundforpeace.org. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  20. "Bayelsa State". Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  21. "pollution | Definition, History, Types, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  22. "Nigeria's oil-rich Bayelsa State opens inquiry on spills". www.worldoil.com. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  23. "'This place used to be green': the brutal impact of oil in the Niger Delta". the Guardian. 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  24. "Governor Diri, Odi School alumni raise funds for science laboratory project". Tribune Online. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  25. T., Akinyele, R. (2006). Isaac Adaka Boro : patriarch of minority activism in the Niger Delta. University of Lagos, Faculty of Arts. ISBN 978-075-054-1. OCLC 752210539.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. "Overview of Bayelsa State". Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  27. Organ., Thomson Reuters Herausgebendes. Social sciences citation index. OCLC 946102050. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  28. "Bayelsa – History & Culture – Bayelsa State Government". Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  29. "Learn About Bayelsa State, Nigeria | People, Local Government and Business Opportunities in Bayelsa". Overview of Nigeria |NgEX. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  30. "Trade and human rights in the Niger Delta | Pambazuka News". www.pambazuka.org. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  31. "Odi massacre: Anyone with tribal marks on their chest was slaughtered, corpses littered everywhere –Bolou, former Bayelsa commissioner". Punch Newspapers. 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  32. "Rise for Bayelsa - Learn more of Bayelsa and her people". Rise for Bayelsa. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  33. "Rise for Bayelsa". SILVERFISH FILMS. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  34. "Nigeria: Bayelsa state launches new inquiry into the environmental and human damage caused by oil spills in the Niger Delta". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  35. "Nigeria's oil-rich Bayelsa State opens inquiry on spills". www.worldoil.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  36. "Bayelsa woos oil, gas, other investors". Vanguard News. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  37. "Bayelsa woos oil, gas, other investors". Vanguard News. 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  38. Ikein, Augustine (2004). "Economic Development Agenda for Bayelsa State of Nigeria: An Advisor's Opinion" (PDF). Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2009-01-07.
  39. "Overview of Bayelsa". Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  40. "Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forestry Assessment" (PDF). USAID. June 2008. p. 76. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
  41. "Since 1910, a Lighthouse in the Creeks". Folio Nigeria. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  42. "Bayelsa, NG Climate Zone, Monthly Weather Averages and Historical Data". tcktcktck.org. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  43. "Bayelsa Most Affected By Climate Change Due to Environmental Degradation, Says Diri - THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  44. Igoni, Daniels (2022-10-25). "Flood: Atiku gives Bayelsa N55m, says climate change real". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  45. "Bayelsa weather and climate ☀️ Best time to visit 🌡️ Temperature". www.besttravelmonths.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  46. 1 2 "Soot pollution in Rivers, Bayelsa: All hands must be on deck". Vanguard News. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  47. "Anxiety as strange black soot envelops Yenagoa". Vanguard News. 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  48. Report, Agency (2018-09-16). "Flood hits Bayelsa communities, settlements, renders many homeless". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  49. "Diri faults NEMA's report, insists entire Bayelsa is flood prone". Vanguard News. 2020-09-09. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  50. News Express. "Environmentalists identify cause of flooding in Yenagoa". News Express.
  51. Nwafor (2021-11-27). "Oil spill: We can't breathe, we're dying of hunger — Bayelsa communities lament". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  52. "Oil spill: We can't breathe, we're dying of hunger — Bayelsa communities lament". Vanguard News. 2021-11-27. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  53. 1 2 "'This place used to be green': the brutal impact of oil in the Niger Delta". the Guardian. 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
  54. Ikenwa, Chizoba (2020-01-13). "List of Natural Mineral Resources Found in Bayelsa State". Nigerian Infopedia. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  55. Jeremiah, Urowayino (2019-04-23). "Bayelsa woos oil, gas, other investors". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  56. Yenagoa
  57. "Nigeria". Ethnologue (22 ed.). Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  58. "Diezani Alison-Madueke scored another firs - Vanguard News". Vanguard News. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  59. "Noah Bazee biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  60. "Who Killed Adaka Boro". www.gamji.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  61. "TIMI DAKOLO". PraiseMaMa.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  62. "Edmund Daukoru". www.gamji.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  63. Society, Urhobo Historical. "Former Military Governor Diete-Spiff Reflects On Background Problems of the Invasion". www.waado.org. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  64. "Hon. Douye Diri biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  65. "Tamara Eteimo biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  66. "ETETE, Chief Dan Lauzia". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  67. "Nigeria: Eagles, Black Stars Will Survive Group Stage -Finidi". This Day (Lagos). 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  68. "DANIEL IGALI - From obscurity to wrestling stardom - The Nation Nigeria". The Nation Nigeria. 2016-07-03. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  69. "Unsung heroes of independence - The Nation Nigeria". The Nation Nigeria. 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  70. "Biography | The Office of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan". www.gej.ng. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  71. Falae, Vivian (March 2017). "Present Nigerian Ministers and their portfolios". legit.ng.
  72. "Ben Murray-Bruce biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  73. Egba, Abdullahi (3 June 2021). "Ogborodi Appointed Acting NECO Registrar After Obioma's Death". Channels TV. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  74. "Gabriel Okara | Nigerian author". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  75. "How Governor Melford Okilo Discovered Olumba Olumba Brotherhood - Brand Campaign". Brand Campaign. 2016-09-14. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  76. "Ebinabo Potts-Johnson biography, net worth, age, family, contact & picture". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  77. "Bayelsa honours Samson SIasia, others". Premium Times Nigeria. 2018-05-18. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  78. "Masquerades and Jokers as Governors in Bayelsa State". www.gamji.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  79. "Afrotainment-Museke Online African Music Awards 2011". 3-mob.com. 2011-09-28.
  80. "Bayelsa nursing school gets college status". Punch Newspapers. 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  81. Owei, David; THEWILL (2022-12-14). "Racketeering Rocks Bayelsa Medical University". thewillnigeria.com. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  82. Jeremiah, Urowayino (2022-04-20). "Former NICO CEO appointed UAT DVC". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  83. Oduma, Igoniko (12 April 2018). "Bayelsa Govt Tasks Governing Councils Of State-Owned Tertiary Institutions". independent.ng. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  84. "FUOTUOKE Resumption Date for Academic Activities 2020/2021". InfoGuideNigeria.com. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  85. "Bayelsa – History & Culture – Bayelsa State Government". Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  86. 1 2 Oguntola, Tunde (2022-09-27). "2023: Next President, Govs Must Get Two-thirds Spread, Says INEC". Retrieved 2023-02-23.

4°45′N 6°05′E / 4.750°N 6.083°E / 4.750; 6.083

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.