Delta State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. However, the Delta State area was once an integral part of the old Western Region of Nigeria. It became an autonomous entity on August 27, 1991, after having been part of the old Midwestern State 1963- 1976 and the defunct Bendel State 1976- 1991. This article contains a brief history of Delta State, the land mass of the state, with the number of local governments available in total.

Brief History Of Delta State

The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is s located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, including all six states from the South-South geopolitical zone, one state (Ondo) from the South West geopolitical zone, and two states Abia and Imo from the South East geopolitical zone. The Niger Delta is a very densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil.

However, The area was the British Oil Rivers Protectorate from 1885 until 1893, when it was expanded and became the Niger Coast Protectorate, The state was initially created with 12 local government areas in 1991 which was later extended to 19 and now has 25 local government areas. Asaba is its state capital located along the River Niger on the northeastern end of the state, while the state’s economic center is Warri on the southwestern coastline.

Economically, Delta State is based around the production of crude oil and natural gas as one of the main oil-producing states in the country, Key minor industries involve agriculture as the state has substantial Oil palm, yam, and cassava crops, fishing, and heliciculture. Delta has the fourth-highest Human Development Index in the country; however, disputes between oil companies and local communities and years of systemic corruption have led to hostilities that are often tied to the lack of development in host communities.

Delta landmass

The state covers a landmass of about 18,050 km2 6,970 sq m, of which more than 60% is land that lies approximately between 5°00′ and 6°45′ E and 5°00′ and 6°30′ N. It is geographically located in Nigeria’s Midwest, bounded in the north and west by Edo State for 350 km (218 miles), the east by Anambra, and Rivers States for about 93 km and about 50 km respectively, southeast by Bayelsa State across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, and on the southern extreme is the Bight of Benin which covers about 160 kilometers of the state’s coastline.

However, Delta State is generally low-lying without any remarkable hills. The state has a wide coastal belt inter-laced with rivulets and streams, which form part of the Niger Delta. The state has 25 Local Government Areas with the state capital being Asaba. Besides Asaba, other important towns in the state include the commercial cities of Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Oghara, Agbor, Koko, Ogwashi-ukwu, Burutu, Ozoro, and Okpanam. The state’s population comprises many ethnic groups.

According to online reports, Nigeria has become West Africa’s biggest producer of petroleum with Some 2 million barrels (320,000 m3) per day extracted in the Niger Delta, with an estimated 38 billion barrels of reserves. The first oil operations in the region began in the 1950s and were undertaken by multinational corporations, which provided Nigeria with the necessary technological and financial resources to extract oil.

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