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]
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.[24][25][26] Bayelsa State was created out of
Rivers State on October 1, 1996[27] 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).[28]
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.[29][30]
In response to
environmental degradation in the state caused by the
oil industry, movements such as the "Rise for Bayelsa[31]" campaign have emerged to push for protecting the local water supply.[32] In 2019, the Bayelsa State government launched the first formal inquiry into the crisis of oil pollution in the state.[33][34]
Economy
Bayelsa State has one of the largest
crude oil and
natural gas deposits in Nigeria.[35][36] 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".[37]
Geography
Bayelsa has a riverine and estuarine setting.[38] 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.[39]
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.[41]
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.[44]
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.[47] 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.[48] Poor town planning is another major cause of flooding in Bayelsa State.[49]
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.[50]Oil spillage has affected farmlands, aquatic life and the health of the people.[51] 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.[52]
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.[45]
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.[52]
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.[55]
Edmund Daukoru, Nigerian Minister of State for Energy and was Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in 2006, HRM[61]
Senator
Douye Diri is a businessman, politician and lawmaker. He is the current governor of Bayelsa State.[63]
Tamara Eteimo 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.[64]
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:
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.[85]
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.[85]