Delta State

Delta State
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  The Big Heart
Location of Delta State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 5°30′N 6°00′E / 5.500°N 6.000°E / 5.500; 6.000
Country	Nigeria
Date created	27 August 1991
Capital	Asaba
Government
• Governor	Sheriff Oborevwori (PDP)
• Deputy Governor	Monday Onyeme (PDP)
• Legislature	Delta State House of Assembly
• Senators	C: Ede Dafinone (APC) N: Ned Nwoko (PDP) S: Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (APC)
• Representatives	List
Area
• Total	17,698 km2 (6,833 sq mi)
• Rank	23rd of 36
Population  (2006 census)[1]
• Total	4,112,445
• Estimate  (2022[2])	5,636,100
• Rank	9th of 36
• Density	230/km2 (600/sq mi)
Demonym	Deltan
GDP (PPP)
• Year	2021
• Total	$40.05 billion[3] 5th of 36
• Per capita	$6,025[3] 6th of 36
Time zone	UTC+01 (WAT)
postal code	320001
Dialing Code	+234
ISO 3166 code	NG-DE
HDI (2021)	0.662[4] medium · 3rd of 37
Website	www.deltastate.gov.ng

Delta State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State on August 27, 1991. Bordered on the north by Edo State, the east by Anambra and Rivers states, and that south by Bayelsa State while to the west is the Bight of Benin which covers about 160 kilometres of the state's coastline. 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 as 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.

Of the 36 states, Delta is the 23rd largest in area and twelfth most populous with an estimated population of over 5.6 million as of 2016.^[5] 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. Much of the state's nature contain threatened dwarf crocodile, Grey parrot, African fish eagle, mona monkey, and African manatee populations along with potentially extirpated populations of African leopard and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee.^[6][7] Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are populations of Lesser African threadfin, crabs, and blue mussel along with various cetacean species.^[7]

What is now Delta State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, including the Isoko and Eruwa in the centre of the state; Ukwuani in the east; the Ika and Olukumi in the northeast; the Anioma Igbo in the northwest; and the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, and Uvwie in the southwest. In the pre-colonial period, now-Delta State was divided into various monarchial states like the Kingdom of Warri and Agbor 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. Notably, Delta has one of the few parts of now-Nigeria to have been under French control as the UK leased the enclave of Forcados to France from 1903 to 1930.

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 Igbo-majority former Eastern Region 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. During the occupation there were widespread hostilities between the Biafran forces and the mainly non-Igbo inhabitants of now-Delta State with Biafran forces committing atrocities against ethnic Hausa, Urhobo, and Ijaw people; 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. In 1991, Bendel State was split with the north becoming Edo State and the south becoming Delta State.^[8]

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.^[9] Key minor industries involve agriculture as the state has substantial oil palm, yam, and cassava crops along with fishing and heliciculture. In large part due to its vast oil revenues, Delta has the fourth highest Human Development Index in the country; however, disputes between oil companies and local communities along with years of systemic corruption have lead to hostilities that are often tied to the lack of development in host communities.^[10][11]