Delta is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in the South-South geopolitical zone of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. Named after the

Niger Delta 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 located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former

Bendel State The Mid-Western Region was a division of Nigeria from 1963 to 1991, from 1976 being known as the Bendel state. It was formed in June 1963 from Benin and Delta provinces of the Western Region, and its capital was Benin City. It was renamed a pro ...

, on 27 August 1991. It is bordered on the north by

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

, the east by Anambra and

Rivers A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

states, and the south by

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, Yenag ...

while to the west by

Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

, and the

Bight of Benin The Bight of Benin, or Bay of Benin, is a bight in the Gulf of Guinea area on the western African coast that derives its name from the historical Kingdom of Benin. Geography The Bight of Benin was named after the Kingdom of Benin. It extends ea ...

which covers about 160 kilometres of the state's

coastline A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

. The state was initially created with 12 local government areas in 1991, but was later expanded to 19 and now has 25

local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

. Its capital city is Asaba which is located along the River Niger on the northeastern end of the state, while the state's economic center is the city of

Warri The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri, Udu, Okpe and Uvwie are the commercial ...

on the southwestern coastline. Of the 36 states, Delta is the 23rd largest in the area and twelfth most populous with an estimated population of over 7.8 million as of 2024. 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

and the coastal areas are riddled with dozens of smaller Niger distributaries that make up much of the western

. Much of the state's nature contains threatened dwarf crocodile, Grey parrot,

African fish eagle The African fish eagle (''Icthyophaga vocifer'') or the African sea eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, ...

, mona monkey, and

African manatee The African manatee (''Trichechus senegalensis''), also known as the West African manatee, is a species of manatee that inhabits much of Western Africa – from Senegal to Angola. It is the only manatee species to be found in the Old World. Ta ...

populations along with potentially extirpated populations of

African leopard The African leopard (''Panthera pardus pardus'') is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been Habitat fragmentation, fragm ...

and Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee. Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are populations of Lesser African threadfin,

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

s, and blue mussel along with various cetacean species. 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, Enuani, and Olukumi in the northeast; the Anioma in the northwest; and the Ijaw,

Itsekiri The Itsekiri (also called the Isekiri, ''iJekri'', ''Itsekri'', ''Ishekiri'', or Itsekhiri) are an ethnic group who mainly inhabit Nigeria's Niger Delta area. They speak a Yoruboid languages, Yoruboid language and can be found in Ondo State, Ondo ...

, and Urhobo, in the southwest. 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 Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River. The L ...

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 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 Biafra, Nigeria, Eastern Region attempted to secede as the state of

Biafra Biafara Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicized as Biafra ( ), officially the Republic of Biafra, was a List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria ...

and invaded the Mid-Western Region in an attempt to capture

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

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

. In 1991, Bendel State was split with the north becoming

and the south becoming Delta State. Economically, Delta State is based around the production of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

as one of the main oil-producing states in the country. Key minor industries involve

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

as the state has substantial

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Description Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can gro ...

, yam, and

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

crops along with fishing and heliciculture. In large part due to its vast oil revenues, Delta has the fourth highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

in the country; however, disputes between oil companies and local communities along with years of systemic corruption have led to hostilities that are often tied to the lack of development in host communities.

Geography

Delta State covers a landmass of about , of which more than 60% is land. The state 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

for 350 km (218 miles), the east by Anambra, and

States for about 93 km and about 50 km respectively, southeast by

across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, and on the southern extreme is the

which covers about 160 kilometres of the state's

. 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

Climate

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 Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

, freshwater

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

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. While January has the lowest rainfall in the state, in July, rainfall is very high at 423.2 mm.

History

Delta State was defined out of the former

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. There was yet another state request proposed as "Anioma State" comprising the Asaba and Agbor Divisions of the old Midwest region. The then Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, recognized Delta state but chose " Asaba" a prominent town within the "Northwestern Lower Niger" as capital city. The proposed capital was a virgin land in the heart of the two constituent divisions that constitutes the Northwestern Lower Niger. Delta state was once integrated in the Mid Western state from 1963 to 1976 and later Bendel state, from 1976 to 1991. The name " Bendel" (Ben-Del) was coined from the old Benin and Delta Provinces of Western Region-Delta to reflect the integration of Benin and Delta provinces.

Politics

The State government is governed by an elected governor who works closely with members of the state's House of Assembly.

Electoral system

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. If no candidate passes a threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.

Demographics

Delta State is predominantly inhabited by the Urhobo, Anioma, Isoko, Uvwie, Okpe, Ijaw, Ukwuani, Ika, Enuani,

and the

Olukumi people The Olukumi are an ancient Yoruba people, Yoruba subgroup indigenous to the Aniocha North area of the Delta State, Nigeria. They originate from Yoruba people and settled in this area long ago. They trace their ancestry to Owo and Akure. The Oluku ...

. The populations of other groups in the state are negligible. The Urhobo-Isoko are basically the same people and are the most predominant people inhabiting the state and currently about 2.3 million spanning across 13 local government areas, followed by Ukwuani, Ika, Aniocha and Oshimili people of Delta State with a population of about 1.8 million spanning across 9 Local government areas who are sometimes referred to as the Anioma people. The

a subgroup of Yoruba though the third largest with an estimated population of 1.035 million people. They are also known for their rich cultural heritage. The Okpe is a dialect of the Urhobo language. The Okpe people occupy two local government areas ( Sapele and Okpe) in Delta Central. The Ijaws are a group of people related to the predominant people of neighbouring

, while the Olukumi are becoming culturally and linguistically extinct, due to acculturation and assimilation. The vast majority of inhabitants are

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, with very few practicing traditional religions. The Catholic Church includes the Diocese of Warri (1964) with 135 parishes under Bishop Anthony Ovayero Ewherido (2022), and parts o
Bomadi
(1991) under Bishop Hyacinth Oroko Egbebo (2009), both suffragans of the Archdiocese of Benin City. The Bendel Province of the Anglican Church of Nigeria under Archbishop Cyril Odutemu (2020) includes the Dioceses of Asaba (1977) led by Bishop Kingsley Chukwukamadu Obuh (2022), Ika (2001) led by Bishop Godfrey Ifeanyichukwu Ekpenisi (2018), Ndokwa (2008) led by Bishop Festus Nwafili (2023), Sapele (2009) led by Bishop Blessing Erifeta (2009),

Ughelli Ughelli is a town in Delta State, Nigeria, and one of the 24 kingdoms that make up the Urhobo people, Urhobo Nation. It also serves as the headquarters of Ughelli North local government area of Delta State. The city is indigenous to the Urhobo ...

led by Bishop Cyril Odutemu,

(1980) led by Bishop Christian Esezi Ide (2006) and Western Izon (2005) led by Bishop Victor Okporu (2021).

Administration

Sheriff Oborevwori, a member of the People's Democratic Party, was elected

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

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). In 2011 and 2013, the elected senators were James Manager, Arthur Okowa Ifeanyi and Emmanuel Aguariavwodo who replaced Pius Ewherido who died in 2013 at National Hospital, Abuja. In 2015, Chief Ighoyeta Amori was elected Senator of Delta Central but his

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

was annulled and Senator 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. The Executive, Legislative and Judicial Chambers are housed in Asaba with a government house annex in

Past & present administrations

* Sheriff Oborevwori - 29 May 2023 to date ( PDP) * Ifeanyi Okowa - 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023 ( PDP) * Emmanuel Uduaghan - 29 May 2007 to 29 May 2015 ( PDP) * James Ibori - 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 ( PDP) * Walter Feghabo - 12 August 1998 to 29 May 1999 (Military) * John Dungs - 22 August 1996 to 12 August 1998 (Military) * Ibrahim Kefas - 26 September 1994 to 22 August 1996 (Military) * Bassey Asuquo - 10 December 1993 to 26 September 1994 (Military) * Abdulkadir Shehu - 17 November 1993 – 10 December 1993 (Military) * Luke Chijiuba Ochulor - 28 August 1991 - January 1992 (Military) *

Felix Ibru Felix Ovudoroye Ibru (7 December 1935 – 12 March 2016) was a Nigerian businessman, architect and politician. He was the first democratically elected Governor of Delta State and Senator for Delta Central Senatorial District. Until his death he ...

- January 1992 - November 1993 ( SDP)

Local Government Areas

Delta State consists of 25

Local Government Areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

(shown with 2006 population figures):

Local Governments/Indigenous people

Indigenous ethnic groups of Delta State listed by LGA:

Economy

The state is one of the richer and more developed ones in Nigeria and has the second-lowest incidence of

extreme poverty Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, ...

(around 3% of the population against a national average of 31%) according to

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

data from 2018.

Natural resources

There are various solid

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

deposits within the state - industrial clay,

silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant f ...

, lignite,

kaolin Kaolinite ( ; also called kaolin) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina (). ...

, tar sand, decorative rocks,

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

, etc. These are raw materials for industries such as

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

making,

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

bottle A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material (such as glass, plastic or aluminium) in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids. Its mouth, at the bottling line, can be sealed with an internal ...

manufacturing,

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

manufacturing, chemical/insulators production,

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...

manufacturing and sanitary wares, decorative stone cutting and

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

ing, but these minerals are under-utilized. Delta state also has huge deposits of

and is also one of the largest producers of

petroleum product Petroleum products are materials derived from crude oil (petroleum) as it is processed in oil refineries. Unlike petrochemicals, which are a collection of well-defined usually pure organic compounds, petroleum products are complex mixtures. Mos ...

s in

. Sales of petroleum products is what majorly drives its economy.

Higher education

Institutions of higher learning in Delta state include: * Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun * Delta State University, Abraka * Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro *Dennis Osadebe University, Anwai * University of Delta, Agbor * Delta State Polytechnics (two different Polytechnics, one at Oghara, and one at Ogwashi-Uku) *The Film and Broadcast Academy, Ozoro *College of Education

. *Federal College of Education Technical, Asaba *College of Education, Mosogar *Delta State College of Health Technology, Ofuoma,

* Michael and Cecilia Ibru University,

* Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun * Western Delta University, Oghara * Novena University, Ogume-Amai * National Open University of Nigeria (three study centres, one at Asaba, one at Emevor and another at Owhrode). *Delta State School of Marine Technology, Burutu * Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Warri South West *Conarina School of Maritime & Transport Technology, Oria- Abraka *University of Information and Communication Technology, Agbor *State School of Midwifery, Asaba *School of Nursing (two schools, one at Agbor and another at

) *Baptist School of Nursing, Eku * Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo *Eagle Heights University, Omadino, Warri *Admiralty University of Nigeria at Ibusa and Sapele *Adam Igbudu Christian Institute, Emevor (a private Nigerian university named after the founder of the

Anglican Adam Preaching Society The Anglican Adam Preaching Society is an interdenominational evangelical Christian movement based in Nigeria, which was founded by an evangelist of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the late Cornelius Adam Igbudu who hailed from Araya i ...

Cornelius Adam Igbudu Cornelius Adam Igbudu (1914–1981) was a Nigerian religious figure known for founding the Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS), an evangelical group in the Anglican Church of Nigeria. He was credited with healing ability. Legacy The Nigeri ...

Transportation

Federal Highways are: * A2 as the Elele-Alimini-Patani East-West Rd across the Forçados River from Bayelsa State by the 850 m bridge (2014) at Patani and north via Warri to Benin City, * A232 ( Trans-African Highway 8 Lagos-Mombasa) east from Edo State via Agbor and Asaba to Onitsha by the 1,404 m River Niger Bridge (1965). Other major roads include * The Warri-Sakpoba Rd northeast from A2 at Ogharefe Junction to Edo State at Otefe, * the Agbor Eku Rd south from Agbor, * The Sakpoba Rd southwest from Agbor to Edo State at Ugbeka, * the Uromi Igbanke Rd north from A232 at Agbor to

. Airports: Warri Airport or Osubi Airstrip, built by Shell Oil in 1999.

Tourist attractions

Delta State has some historical, cultural and socio-political tourist centres that attract visitors from around the globe. Some of these sites of tourism include: * The Nana's Palace built by Chief Nana Olomu of Ebrohim. He was a powerful 19th-century indigenous entrepreneur who traded with the British. The relationship eventually turned sour. Later, he surrendered (not without putting up a fight) and was exiled to Ghana. His personal effects are housed in this grand palace. * The River Ethiope which is reputed to be the deepest inland waterway in Africa (at 176 km). Its source is at the foot of a giant silk-cotton tree at Umuaja in Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state and flows through seven Local Government Areas in the State. It is a place of worship for Olokun traditional religion and also a common site for faithful of the Igbe Religious Movement. * The Araya Bible Site which houses a copy of the

Holy Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. It is believed that the bible descended to this spot miraculously from heaven around August 1914. The bible dropped on rain-soaked yam and it didn't get wet. The site now attracts thousands of Christians yearly. * Demas Nwoko Edifice which was built using traditional materials, designs and construction techniques of the Igbo civilization by Demas Nwoko, an architect, builder and artist of international repute from Idumuje-Ugboko, in Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State. * The Mungo Park House which is now the site of the National Museum, Asaba. The house was constructed by the Royal Niger Company (RNC) in 1886 and was used as a colonial administrative headquarters, a military house, the colonial administrative divisional headquarters, the RNC Constabulary building, and the seat of the Urban District Council at different times. * The Abraka Turf and Country Club, Abraka features a horse club where an international polo tournament is held every year during Easter. * The Niger Bridge which connects Delta State (by extension, western Nigeria) to the Eastern part of

. It is a beauty to behold. It was completed in 1965 and cost £5 million. It was damaged during the Civil War but later repaired. * Lander Brothers Anchorage, Asaba which was built in memory of early British explorers. The complex has a museum, a graveyard, and many artworks and writings. It houses a replica of one of the boats that was used by the brothers. * Falcorp Mangrove Park * 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. A tree is planted on each grave. * Mungo Park House, Asaba is the first headquarters of the Royal Niger Company and Nigeria's first political headquarters in 1900. * Kwale Game Reserve is situated in the low coastal zone of Delta State, characterized by rainforest vegetation and deltaic swamps. It is rich in reptiles and water-associated animals, particularly red river hog, sitatunga and a variety of brackish, marine and freshwater fish species.

Sports

Delta State is known to have produced several sportsmen and women, notably Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Wilson Oruma, Efetobore Sodje Blessing Okagbare, Jonathan Akpoborie, and Ogenekaro Etebo.

Notable people

* Francis Agoda aka I Go Dye, popular comedian across Africa and

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

Millennium Development Goals In the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 created following the Millennium Summit, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. These w ...

Ambassador * Alibaba Akpobome, stand-up comedian and actor * Venita Akpofure, British-Nigerian actress and video vixen * Eyimofe Atake, Senior Advocate of Nigeria * F.O.M. Atake, Nigerian Judge (1967–1977) and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1979–1982) * Rt Rev'd John U Aruakpor Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Oleh * Michael Ashikodi Agbamuche, former Attorney General & Minister for Justice of Nigeria * Udoka Azubuike, professional basketball player for the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

, played at college for the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

Bovi Bovi Ugboma is a Nigerians, Nigerian stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He has organized popular stand-up comedy concerts like ''Bovi: Man on Fire'' across the globe. Early life and education Bovi Ugboma was born in Benin City, the capital ...

, Nigerian comedian, event host, Actor and skit maker * John Pepper Clark, the first professor of English in Africa, poet and writer * David Dafinone, Renowned Account/Politician * Destalker, Nigerian comedian * Paul Dike, Past Chief of Defence Staff * Enebeli Elebuwa, Nigerian Actor * Ossai Ifeanyi Nwabuonwu is a Nigerian entrepreneur, diplomat, philanthropist , Ambassador of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and a member Bretton Woods Committee * Mairo Ese, Nigerian gospel singer * Tony Elumelu, UBA and Heirs Holdings * Godwin Emefiele present CBN Governor * Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, Nigerian financial industry leader and politician * Ayiri Emami, is a Nigerian businessman, politician, and philanthropist. * Erigga,

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

Hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

recording artist, songwriter * Peter Etebo, Nigerian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

* Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin, founder of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry * Harrysong, Nigerian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist * James Ibori, former governor of Delta State *

Alex Ibru Alex Ibru (1 March 1945 – 20 November 2011) was a Nigerian businessman, founder and publisher of ''The Guardian'' (Nigeria) newspaper, who was minister of internal affairs from 1993 to 1995 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. ...

, Former minister of interior affairs and founder of the Guardian Newspaper * Cecilia Ibru, Former managing director of

Oceanic Bank Oceanic Bank International, commonly referred to as Oceanic Bank, was a bank in Nigeria that provided individual, commercial and corporate banking services. History Oceanic Bank was incorporated on March 26, 1990, as a private limited liability ...

* Elvina Ibru, Nollywood Actress *

, First civilian governor of Delta State *

Michael Ibru Michael Onajirevbe Ibru (25 December 1930 – 6 September 2016) was a Nigerian industrialist, founder of the Ibru Organization and patriarch of the Ibru family. Early life and career Ibru was born to the family of Janet Ibru and Peter Ibru, a ...

, pioneer industrialist *

Oskar Ibru Oskar Eyovbirere Ibru (born 1958) is a Nigerian billionaire businessman and investor who currently serves as the chairman and CEO of the Ibru Organization. Early life and education Oskar Ibru is the eldest son of Michael Ibru, founder of the I ...

, business magnate * Maiden Alex Ibru, media executive * Goodie Ibru, businessman and hotelier *

(1914–1981), founder of the Anglican Adam Preaching Society * Ogaga Ifowodo, lawyer and human rights activist * Dumebi Iyamah Owner of Andrea Iyamah Brand * Don Jazzy, Nigerian singer and producer * Wellington Jighere, ''

Scrabble ''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a Board game, game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, re ...

'' player * Ibe Kachikwu, former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Nigeria * Stephen Keshi, Nigerian ex-defender, former head coach of the super eagles * Festus Keyamo, Nigerian lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN * Lynxxx, Recording artist, entrepreneur and the first Nigerian Pepsi brand ambassador *Senator James Manager Ebiowou, Nigerian politician at the Senate level * Rosaline Meurer, Gambian-born Nigerian actress * Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nigerian veteran actor, writer, producer, and lawyer, former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State * Collins Nweke, First non-Belgian born person elected to political office in West Flanders Belgium * Nduka Obaigbena Founder, ThisDay & AriseTV * Sam Obi, Ex-speaker and former acting governor of Delta State * Sheriff Oborevwori Governor Delta State * Sunny Ofehe, international human & environmental rights activist * Kenneth Ogba, politician * Timothy Ogene, writer and lecturer at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

* Joy Ogwu, former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the

* Tanure Ojaide, professor of English and renowned writer * Mandy Ojugbana, musician * Okocha, former Super Eagles Captain * Blessing Okagbare, athlete, Olympic and

World Athletics Championships The World Athletics Championships, known as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics until 2019, are a biennial sport of athletics, athletics competition organized by World Athletics, formerly International Association of Athletics Federations ...

medalist in the long jump, and a world medallist in the

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (; born 13 June 1954) is a Nigerian economist, who has been serving as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization since March 2021. She is the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization as d ...

, economist and international development expert, Boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, and the African Risk Capacity * Chris Okotie,

musician, televangelist, politician * Ifeanyi Okowa former governor of Delta State * Ben Okri, writer,

poet and novelist * Sunday Oliseh, Football Manager and former player * Omawumi, Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress; brand ambassador for Globacom, Konga, Malta Guinness * Mabel Evwierhoma, Professor of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja * Ovie Omo-Agege, Nigerian lawyer, politician * Rachel Oniga, was a Nigerian film actress * Dominic Oneya, Retired Brigadier General in the Nigerian Army, former chairman of the Nigeria Football Association * Divine Oduduru, Nigerian sprinter and athlete * Bruce Onobrakpeya, 2006 UNESCO Living Human Treasure Award, trustee of Western Niger Delta University *

Gamaliel Onosode Gamaliel Oforitsenere Onosode (22 May 1933 – 29 September 2015) was a Nigerian technocrat, administrator and a former presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party of Nigeria. Educated at the Government College, Ughelli and the Univ ...

, Nigerian technocrat, administrator and a former presidential candidate * Orezi, singer, songwriter * Ayo Oritsejafor, founder of Word of Life Bible Church * Stephen Oru, Nigerian politician, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs * Peter Godsday Orubebe, politician, ex-Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, ex-Minister of special duties * Dennis Osadebay, Nigerian politician, lawyer, poet, journalist * Prof Onigu Otite, sociologist and anthropologist * Kingsley Otuaro former deputy governor of Delta State * Jim Ovia, Nigerian businessman, founder of Zenith Bank * Tim Owhefere, Nigerian politician *General Alexander Ogomudia, former chief of Defense staff (CDS) and former Chief of Army staff (COAS) * Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation * Alfred Rewane, businessman and NADECO financier * Igho Sanomi, Nigerian businessman * SHiiKANE, Nigerian Afro-Pop, Pop, Afrobeat, Jazz, Dance, R&B music group * Zulu Sofola, First published female Nigerian playwright and dramatist, first female Professor of Theater Arts in Africa * Ojo Taiye,

poet, winner of the Kingdoms in the Wild 2019 Annual Poetry Prize * Tompolo, former Nigerian Militant Commander * Abel Ubeku, first black managing director of Guinness Nigeria Plc * Patrick Utomi, a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert, Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and a former presidential candidate * Efe Ronald Chesterfield is a Nigerian writer * Prince Tega Wanogho, American football player * Faithia Williams, is a Nigerian actress, filmmaker, producer and director.

References

External links

* *
Governor of Delta State

Delta State Newspaper
{{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria Niger River Delta States and territories established in 1991