Bayelsa State

Bayelsa is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. The capital, Yenagoa, is susceptible to high risk of annual flooding. It shares a boundary with Rivers State to the east and Delta State to the north across the Niger River for 17km and the Forçados River for 198km, with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean dominating its southern borders. It has a total area of 10,773 square kilometres (4,159 sq mi). The state comprises eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw. Bayelsa state is regarded as the least populous state in Nigeria with an estimated population of over 3,700,000 as at 2024. Being in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa State has a riverine and estuarine setting, with bodies of water within the state making the development of significant road infrastructure, quite difficult.

The state is the primary and ancestral home of the Ijaw people, from where migration took place to other Ijaw settlements. The languages of the Ijaw (Ogbia, Nembe, Epie, central Izon) are widely spoken in Bayelsa State, along with Isoko and Urhobo. The state is also the ancestral home of the Urhobo people in the Sagbama local government area.

As a state in the oil-rich Niger Delta, Bayelsa State's economy is dominated by the petroleum industry. The state is the site of Oloibiri Oilfield, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria, and as of 2015 the state was estimated to produce 30-40% of the country's oil. The state has the largest gas reservoir (18 trillion cubic feet) in Nigeria. Though it is 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.