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GENERAL INFORMATION

Area :………………………………………………… 21,100 Sq.Km
Capital: ………………………………………........Yenagoa
Population: ……………………................... Estimated at 2,000,000
Website: www.bayelsa.gov.ng


CLIMATE AND VEGETATION
Bayelsa lies in the heaviest rainfall area in Nigeria, with heavy rain forest and a short dry season (from November to March).

TEMPERATURE
Humid: 300C (mean)

HISTORY

Bayelsa State was created on October 1, 1996 out of the old Rivers State. The name, Bayelsa, is an acronym of three former Local Government areas – Brass, Yenagoa and Sagbama – in the then Rivers State, which had earlier on comprised the entire area now constituting Bayelsa State. The then Brass LGA is what makes up the present Nembe, Brass and Ogbia Local Government Areas; the then Yenagoa  LGA consist of the present Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas and the then Sagbama LGA  is what makes up the present Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government Areas.

The tradition in the old Rivers State, which is still the norm in Bayelsa State now, is the use of acronyms for local government areas.  People referred to Brass Local Government Area as BALGA, for short; Yenagoa was simply YELGA, while Sagbama was SALGA.  Since personalities from BALGA, YELGA, and SALGA made up the State Creation Movement prior to the 1996 exercise, the proposed name agreed upon was BAYELSA.


ADMINISTRATORS

Since its creation, Bayelsa State has had the following chief executives:
Navy Captain Philip Oladipo Ayeni (Military Governor: 1 October, 1996 – 28 February, 1997).
Police Commissioner Habu Daura (Acting Governor: 28 February, 1997 – 27 June, 1997).
Navy Capital Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade (Military Governor: 27 June, 1997 – 9 July, 1998).
Lt. Col. Paul Edor Obi (Military Administrator: 9 July, 1998 – 29 May, 1999).
Chief Dr. Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha (JP) (first Executive Governor: 29 May 1999 – 9 December 2005)
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (second Executive Governor: 12 December 2005 – 29 May 2007).
Chief Timipre Sylva (Executive Governor: 29 May 2007 - 16 April 2008)
Rt. Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu (Acting Governor: 16 April 2008 - 27 May, 2008)
Chief  Timipre Sylva (Executive Governor: 27 May, 2008 - Date)

Click Here to veiw Executive Council

LOCATION

Bayelsa State is geographically located within Latitude 04o 15’ North, 05 o 23’ South and longitude 05 o 22’ West and 06 o 45’ East. It shares boundaries with Delta State on the North, Rivers State on the East and the Atlantic Ocean on the West and South.

AREA

Bayelsa State is a picturesque tropical rain forest, with an area of about 21,110 square kilometres. More than three quarters of this area is covered by water, with a moderately low land stretching from Ekeremor to Nembe. The area lies almost entirely below sea level with a maze of meandering creeks and mangrove swamps. The network of several creeks and rivers in the South, all flow into the Atlantic Ocean via the major rivers such as San Bartholomew, Brass, Nun, Ramos, Santa Barbara, St. Nicholas, Sangana, Fishtown, Ikebiri Creek, Middleton, Digatoro Creek, Pennington and Dobo. The vegetation here is characterized by the mangrove forest.  In the North, it has a thick forest with arable lands for cultivation of various food and cash crops.


PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE

There are four main languages in Bayelsa State, which are Izon, Nembe, Ogbia and Epie-Atissa.  The predominant religions in the State are Christianity and Traditional worship. Bayelsa State has 24 first class traditional rulers (and many second and third class traditional rulers) recognized by the State Government.

OCCUPATION

The major occupations in the State are fishing, farming, palm oil milling, lumbering, palm wine tapping, local gin making, trading, carving and weaving.

COMMERCE, PETROLEUM AND INDUSTRY
Bayelsa State is a major oil and gas producing area and it contributes over 30% of Nigeria’s oil production. These are hundreds of oil wells and flow stations across the state. Oloibiri in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state is where oil was first struck in Nigeria in commercial quantities in 1956. Gas production activities are currently being intensified in the State.  The LNG Gas Supply Plant that supplies 53% of the gas feedstock to the LNG plant in Bonny is located in Oluasiri in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. There is a proposed network of associated gas gathering pipelines from the Nembe Creek oilfields to the LNG plant. The major oil exploration and production companies operating in the State are Shell, Agip and ChevronTexaco.

The Kolo Creek Gas Turbine Project owned by the Bayelsa State Government supplies electricity to Yenagoa, the State Capital, and surrounding towns and villages.  Bayelsa State is, presently, the only State in Nigeria that provides electricity for itself without any supply from the National Electricity Grid.
In addition to oil and gas, the State has large reserves of clay, sand and gravel’s of importance to the industrial sector.

 

 


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