Tag: Niger Delta

The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River, located in Nigeria right on the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf of Guinea. It is surrounded by nine coastal states in southern Nigeria, including all six states in the South-South geopolitical zone, one state (Ondo), two states (Abia and Imo), and one state (South West geopolitical zone).

It is a significantly populous area that is occasionally referred to as the Oil Rivers since it used to be a significant palm oil producer. From 1885 until it was enlarged and named the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1893, the region was known as the British Oil Rivers Protectorate.

Because of its abundance in petroleum, the delta has drawn attention from throughout the world.

The region as now defined officially by the Nigerian government, extends over about 70,000 km2 (27,000 sq mi) and makes up 7.5% of Nigeria’s land mass. Historically and cartographically, it consists of present-day Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States. In 2000, however, Obasanjo’s regime included Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River State, Edo, Imo and Ondo States in the region.

The Niger Delta and the South-South geopolitical zone (which contains six of the states in the Niger Delta are two different entities. The Niger Delta separates the Bight of Benin from the Bight of Bonny within the larger Gulf of Guinea.

Some 31 million people of more than 40 ethnic groups including the Ukwuani people, Abua, Bini, Ohaji/Egbema, Itsekiri, Efik, Esan, Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Ijaw, Igbo, Isoko, Urhobo, Kalabari, Yoruba, Okrika, Ogoni, Ogba–Egbema–Ndoni, Epie-Atissa people and Obolo people, are among the inhabitants of the political region. They speak about 250 different dialects. Language groups spoken in the Niger Delta include the Ijaw languages, Ibibio-Efik languages, Igboid languages, Itsekiri languages, Central Delta languages, Edoid languages, and Yoruboid Languages.