Delta State is located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta, a large part of which lies within its borders, the state was created on August 27, 1991, from the former Bendel State. Delta State is bordered by Edo State to the north, Anambra and Rivers States to the east, Bayelsa State to the south, and Ondo State to the west.
Delta State covers a landmass of about 18,050 km2 (6,970 sq mi), of which more than 60% is land. 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 kilometres of the state's coastline.
Delta is the 23rd largest in area of the 36 states, and twelfth most populous with an estimated population of over 7.8 million as of 2024.
Location of Delta State in Nigeria
Historical Context
What is now Delta State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, including the Isoko and Urhobo the centre of the state; Ukwuani in the east; the Ika, Enuani, and Olukumi in the northeast; the Anioma and the northwest; and the Ijaw, Itsekiri, and also the Urhobo, in the southwest.
Read also: Unity and Development in Delta State
In the pre-colonial period, the now-Delta State was divided into various monarchial states like the Kingdom of Warri, Aboh and Agbon Kingdom before the area became a part of the British Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884. In the early 1900s, the British incorporated the protectorate (now renamed the Niger Coast Protectorate) into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate which later amalgamated into British Nigeria. However, colonial forces did not gain permanent control of modern-day Delta State until the 1910s, due to the uprisings of the Ekumeku Movement.
After independence in 1960, the area of now-Delta was a part of the post-independence Western Region until 1963 when the region was split and the area became part of the Mid-Western Region. In 1967, the Biafra attempted to secede as the state of Biafra and invaded the Mid-Western Region in an attempt to capture Lagos and end the war quickly; Biafran forces were halted and eventually pushed back but briefly declared the captured Mid-Western Region (including now-Delta State) as the Republic of Benin. Similarly, upon the liberation of the Mid-West, Nigerian forces committed the Asaba massacre against ethnic Igbos in Asaba.
At the war's end and the reunification of Nigeria, the Mid-Western Region was reformed until 1976 when it was renamed Bendel State. Delta State was defined out of the former Bendel State on 27 August 1991. The state was actualized following agitations for the realization of a separate distinct state by the peoples of the old Delta Province.
Geography and Climate
Geographically, the state is divided between the Central African mangroves in the coastal southwest and the Nigerian lowland forests in most of the rest of the state as a small portion of the Niger Delta swamp forests are in the far south. The other important geographical features are the River Niger and its distributary, the Forçados River, which flow along Delta's eastern and southern borders, respectively; while fellow Niger distributary, the Escravos River, runs through Warri and the coastal areas are riddled with dozens of smaller Niger distributaries that make up much of the western Niger Delta.
Delta State is generally low-lying without any remarkable hills. An important characteristic of the Climate of Delta State is flooding. The ecological attributes of Delta State also include heavy rainfall, which makes the state, like other states in the Niger-Delta Nigeria to be regarded as lowland rainforest, freshwater swamp and mangrove swamp. Delta State has a mean rainfall of 36.9 mm, as well as an increase in rainfall which in the year 2015 resulted in inundation of farmlands in the state. 2015 was also the year the state had the highest rainfall, amounting to 3183.6 mm. In the year 2007, the state had the lowest rainfall over the 11-year period, amounting to an annual rainfall of 2030.58 mm.
Read also: Nigeria Postal Codes - Delta State
Discover Patani: The Untapped Beauty of the Niger Delta from Above
Economy
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 along with fishing and heliciculture.
Delta State has some historical, cultural and socio-political tourist centres that attract visitors from around the globe.
- The Nana's Palace built by Chief Nana Olomu of Ebrohim.
- The River Ethiope which is reputed to be the deepest inland waterway in Africa (at 176 km).
- The Araya Bible Site which houses a copy of the Holy Bible.
- The Mungo Park House which is now the site of the National Museum, Asaba.
- The Niger Bridge which connects Delta State (by extension, western Nigeria) to the Eastern part of Nigeria.
- Lander Brothers Anchorage, Asaba which was built in memory of early British explorers.
- Warri Kingdom Royal Cemetery which is a 512-year-old burial ground and serves as the resting place of past rulers of the Warri kingdom.
- Kwale Game Reserve is situated in the low coastal zone of Delta State, characterized by rainforest vegetation and deltaic swamps.
Nana Palace
Government
The electoral system of each 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 local government Areas. Sheriff Oborevwori, a member of the People's Democratic Party, was elected Governor and chief executive of Delta State in March 2023. His deputy is Monday Onyeme. The state has three National Senatorial Districts (South, North and Central). Ovie Omo-Agege sworn in as Senator of Delta Central, James Manager retained his position and Chief Peter Nwaoboshi was elected Senator of Delta North.
Rainfall in Delta State
Rainfall is an important climatic factor in Delta State. The table below shows the rainfall data over an 11-year period.
Read also: Employment in Delta State, Nigeria
| Year | Annual Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 2030.58 |
| 2015 | 3183.6 |
| Average | ~2607 |
Popular articles:
tags: #Nigeria
