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 Anambra () is a state in Nigeria. It is located in the South-eastern region of the country. The state was created on 27 August 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State and Rivers State to the south, Enugu State to ...

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 Asaba (''Igbo:'' ''Ahaba'') is the capital of Delta State, Nigeria. A rapidly growing urban area, it is located on the western bank of the Niger River and is the seat of the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,6 ...

which is located along the

River Niger The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...

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 The Central African mangroves ecoregion consists of the largest area of mangrove swamp in Africa, located on the coasts of West Africa, mainly in Nigeria. Location and description These mangroves are found in fertile rivermouths and lagoons and ...

in the coastal southwest and the

Nigerian lowland forests The biogeographic regionalization of Earth's terrestrial biodiversity, known as Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World (TEOW), is made up of 867 ecoregions that are divided into 14 biomes. In addition to offering a comprehensive map of terrestrial b ...

in most of the rest of the state as a small portion of the

Niger Delta swamp forests The Niger Delta swamp forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Nigeria. It consists of freshwater swamp forests in the Niger Delta of the Niger River. This swamp forest is the seco ...

are in the far south. The other important geographical features are the

and its distributary, the

Forçados River The Forçados River (originally Forcados) is a channel in the Niger Delta, in southern Nigeria. It flows for approximately and meets the sea at the Bight of Benin in Delta State. It is an important channel for small ships. The Forçados River sp ...

, which flow along Delta's eastern and southern borders, respectively; while fellow Niger distributary, the

Escravos River The Escravos River is a river in southern Nigeria, close to the city of Warri. "Escravos" is a Portuguese word meaning "slaves" and the area was one of the main conduits for slave trade between Nigeria and the United States in the 18th century. ...

, 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 The dwarf crocodile (''Osteolaemus tetraspis''), also known as the African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile (a name more often used for the Asian mugger crocodile) or bony crocodile, is an African crocodile that is also the smallest extan ...

, 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 The mona monkey (''Cercopithecus mona'') is an Old World monkey that lives in western Africa between Ghana and Cameroon. The mona monkey can also be found on the island of Grenada as it was transported to the island aboard slave ships headed to ...

, 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 The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee which inhabits the rainforest along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. Male Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees can weigh up to 70 kilos with a body ...

. Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are populations of

Lesser African threadfin The lesser African threadfin (''Galeoides decadactylus'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a threadfin from the family Polynemidae which is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. Description The lesser Afric ...

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 The blue mussel (''Mytilus edulis''), also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the only extant family in the order Mytilida, known as "true mussels". Blue mussels are subject to ...

along with various cetacean species. What is now Delta State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, including the Isoko and

Urhobo Urhobo may refer to: *Urhobo people, of Nigeria *Urhobo language Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. It is from the Delta State, Delta and Bayelsa State, Bayelsa States. Phonology Urhobo has ...

the centre of the state; Ukwuani in the east; the Ika, Enuani, and Olukumi in the northeast; the

Anioma The Anioma people ('' /æˈniːɒmɑː/ ah-NEE-o-ma, US: /əˈniːɒmɑː/ uh-NEE-o-mah;'' ''Ndí Ániọ̀mà'') present day Delta State, Nigeria. The Anioma people encompass and are native to the nine northeastern Local Government Areas of ...

and the northwest; and the

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Ijaw people, also known as the Izon people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary Population, population clusters in Bayelsa State, Bayelsa, Delta State, Delta, and River ...

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 also the

, in the southwest. In the pre-colonial period, the now-Delta State was divided into various monarchial states like the

Kingdom of Warri The Kingdom of Warri, Warri Kingdom or Iwere Kingdom, (Itsekiri: ''Oye Iwere'') was established in 1480, was part of the Nigerian traditional states its ancestral capital is based in Ode-Itsekiri, Warri South LGA, Delta State, Nigeria with a pa ...

Aboh Aboh or Abo,"Ibo, a district of British West Africa..." () is a city in Delta State 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 ...

and

Agbon Kingdom The Agbon Kingdom (also Agbon ẹkwuotọ ) is one of twenty-four subunits of the Urhobo people that have been in existence since before the rise of the Benin Empire in the 1440s and before the arrival of the Portuguese in the Western Niger Del ...

before the area became a part of the British

Oil Rivers Protectorate The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year. It was renamed on 12 M ...

in 1884. In the early 1900s, the British incorporated the protectorate (now renamed the

Niger Coast Protectorate The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year. It was renamed on 12 M ...

) 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 Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. British influen ...

. 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 An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives of co ...

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 War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

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 Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. similarly, upon the liberation of the Mid-West, Nigerian forces committed the

Asaba massacre The Asaba Massacre occurred in October 1967 in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria during the Nigerian Civil War. Background In August 1967, three months into the Biafran War, Biafran troops invaded the Mid-Western Region, to the west of the River ...

against ethnic Igbos in

. 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 Heliciculture, commonly known as snail farming, is the process of raising edible land snails, primarily for human consumption or cosmetic use. The meat and Snail caviar, snail eggs can be consumed as escargot and as a type of caviar, respectively. ...

. 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

, and

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

across the Niger River for 17 km and the

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 Rivulets is the stage name of minimalist singer-songwriter Nathan Leavitt Amundson. Biography Rivulets was the first artist signed to Low's Chairkickers Union record label in 2001. He then released his first, self-titled album in 2002 and DEBR ...

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 A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...

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

and

Agbor Agbor is the most populous town of approximately 367,000 among the Ika people, in Delta State, Nigeria. It is located in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, in South-south geo-political zone of Nigeria, West Africa. Agbor is the he ...

Divisions of the old Midwest region. The then Military President, Gen.

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August 1941) is a Nigerian statesman and military dictator who ruled as military president of Nigeria from 1985 when he orchestrated a coup d'état against his military and political arch-rival Muhammadu ...

, recognized Delta state but chose "

" 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

, Isoko,

Uvwie Uvwie (/hu-we-ɛ/), is a principal urban Local government area in Delta State. It lies along the Warri River and it is one of the 24 Urhobo people, Urhobo kingdoms. The entirety of the LGA is Conurbation, conurbated with the city of Warri, making ...

Okpe Okpe is a kingdom in Delta State, Nigeria. Today, it is also the name of a local government area. It is one of the many kingdoms that make up Urhobo nation. Its capital is Orerokpe. The kingdom plays host to the Osubi Airport (also known as Wa ...

, 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 Anioma people ('' /æˈniːɒmɑː/ ah-NEE-o-ma, US: /əˈniːɒmɑː/ uh-NEE-o-mah;'' ''Ndí Ániọ̀mà'') present day Delta State, Nigeria. The Anioma people encompass and are native to the nine northeastern Local Government Areas of ...

. 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

is a dialect of the Urhobo language. The Okpe people occupy two local government areas (

Sapele ''Entandrophragma cylindricum'' is a tree of the genus ''Entandrophragma'' of the family ''Meliaceae''. It is commonly known as sapele or sapelli ( ) or sapele mahogany, as well as aboudikro, assi, and muyovu. Origin of the name The name ''sape ...

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 In religious studies, an ethnic religion or ethnoreligion is a religion or belief associated with notions of heredity and a particular ethnicity. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam ...

. The Catholic Church includes the

Diocese of Warri The Roman Catholic Diocese of Warri () is a diocese located in the city of Warri in the ecclesiastical province of Benin City in Nigeria. History The Roman Catholic Diocese of Warri, located in Delta State, Nigeria, was erected on 10 March 1 ...

(1964) with 135 parishes under Bishop

Anthony Ovayero Ewherido Anthony Ovayero Ewherido (born 8 October 1960) is a Nigerian Catholic priest and the Bishop of Catholic diocese of Warri. He was appointed by Pope Francis on 28 December 2022 and installed as Bishop on 9 February 2023. Background and early lif ...

(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 The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptised membership (not by attendance), after the Church of England. In 2016 it stated that its membership was � ...

under Archbishop Cyril Odutemu (2020) includes the Dioceses of

(1977) led by Bishop Kingsley Chukwukamadu Obuh (2022), Ika (2001) led by Bishop

Godfrey Ifeanyichukwu Ekpenisi Godfrey Ifeanyichukwu Ekpenisi (born 26 January 1969) is an Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Ekpenisi, a former Archdeacon, is the current Bishop of Ika; he was enthroned on 15 December 2018. Ekpenisi was born on 26 January 1969 in Agbor, Delta Sta ...

(2018), Ndokwa (2008) led by Bishop

Festus Nwafili Festus Uzorka Nwafili (born 19 April 1976), at Ndokwa East, is the Bishop of Ndokwa Diocese in the Anglican Communion. He was consecrated Bishop of Ndokwa in 2023. Background and early life Festus Uzorka Nwafili was born in Obeche-Inyi in ...

(2023),

(2009) led by Bishop

Blessing Erifeta Blessing Avbenayeri Erifeta (born 17 April 1964) is the incumbent Bishop of Sapele in the Anglican Province of Bendel in the Church of Nigeria. Erifeta is a graduate of Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan; Delta State University, Abraka (B.A (E ...

(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 Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori (born 19 June 1963) is a Nigerian politician who has served as the governor of Delta State since 2023. He previously served as speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, representing the Okpe Constituency ...

, 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 James Manager is a Nigerian politician of the People's Democratic Party who served as a senator representing Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State in the Nigerian Senate from 2003 to 2023. Background Manager attended Epiekiri Prima ...

, 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 Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege (born 3 August 1963) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate from 2019 to 2023. He was the senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District from 2015 to 2023. ...

sworn in as Senator of Delta Central,

retained his position and Chief

Peter Nwaoboshi Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi (born 1958 in Delta State, Nigeria) is a Nigerian politician who served as the senator representing Delta North senatorial district in the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2023. He was sacked shortly after being announced ...

was elected Senator of Delta North. The

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

, Legislative and Judicial Chambers are housed in

with a government house annex in

Past & present administrations

- 29 May 2023 to date (

PDP PDP may refer to: Computing and technology * Packet Data Protocol in wireless GPRS/HSDPA networks * Parallel distributed processing in Connectionism#Parallel distributed processing, connectionism * Plasma display panel * Policy Decision Point in t ...

) *

Ifeanyi Okowa Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa (born 8 July 1959) is a Nigerian doctor and politician who served as Governor of Delta State from May 2015 to May 2023. He was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria), People's Democratic Party, he was th ...

- 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023 (

) *

Emmanuel Uduaghan Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (born 22 October 1954) is a retired Nigerian politician and doctor who served as Governor of Delta State from 2007 to 2015. He assumed office via an inconclusive election on 29 May 2007 and was a member of the Peop ...

- 29 May 2007 to 29 May 2015 (

) *

James Ibori James Onanefe Ibori (born 4 August 1959) is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. An ethnic Urhobo by descent, Ibori is a member of the people’s Democratic Party(PDP). He is a leade ...

- 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 (

) * 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 Bassey Asuquo was a Nigerian soldier who served as Military Administrator of Delta State between December 1993 and September 1994, and then Edo State from September 1994 to December 1996, during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. He retir ...

- 10 December 1993 to 26 September 1994 (Military) *

Abdulkadir Shehu Alhaji Abdulkadir Shehu was acting Administrator of Delta State, Nigeria between November 17, 1993 and December 10, 1993 immediately after General Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (; (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military dictato ...

- 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 Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...

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 Oil sands are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. They are either loose sands, or partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water, soaked with bitumen (a dense and extremely viscous ...

, 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 The Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE) in Delta State, Nigeria was established and approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of 14 March 2007 and admitted its first set of undergraduates in 2008. The universit ...

Delta State University, Abraka The Delta State University, Abraka - popularly known as DELSU - is a State government-owned university in Nigeria with the main campus located at Abraka, Delta State and its sub-campus at Oleh. The Oleh campus was established with the 1995 Am ...

* Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro *Dennis Osadebe University, Anwai * University of Delta, Agbor *

Delta State Polytechnic There were three Polytechnics in Delta State, Nigeria, all established on 12 November 2002, located in Ogwashi-Uku Ogwashi Ukwu, sometimes spelt as Ogwashi-Uku, is an Igbo town in Delta State, Nigeria. Located west of the state capital Asab ...

s (two different Polytechnics, one at

Oghara Oghara Kingdom is a town located in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Oghara kingdom which is regarded by the Urhobos as "The Gateway to Urhoboland" is one of the three kingdoms that make up Ethiope West Local Gove ...

, and one at

Ogwashi-Uku Ogwashi Ukwu, sometimes spelt as Ogwashi-Uku, is an Igbo town in Delta State, Nigeria. Located west of the state capital Asaba, it is the headquarters for the Local Government Area, Aniocha South. The population of Ogwashi-Ukwu is about 50, ...

) *The Film and Broadcast Academy,

Ozoro Ozoro is a city and the headquarter of Isoko North Local Government area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is one of the two administrative units in the Isoko region of Delta State, southern Nigeria. Ozoro had been incorrectly spelt Usoro in some old ...

*College of Education

. *Federal College of Education Technical,

*College of Education, Mosogar *Delta State College of Health Technology, Ofuoma,

Michael and Cecilia Ibru University Michael and Cecilia Ibru University is a private university located in Agbara-Otor in Delta State. The university was established and co-founded in 2015 by Michael Ibru and Cecilia Ibru with the aim of reducing poverty. Academic division Mi ...

Petroleum Training Institute Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) is located in Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria. It was established in 1973 by the federal government of Nigeria as a prerequisite for the membership in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to ...

Effurun Effurun is a town and the headquarters of Uvwie Local Government Area in Delta State, Nigeria. It is an Urban center, densely populated with different infrastructural development. it borders its twin city Warri, also serves as an entrance to ...

* Western Delta University,

Novena University Novena University is the first private university in Delta State located in Ogume, Delta State, Nigeria. Novena University was established to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigeria youths and women who are unable to get admitted for their a ...

, Ogume-Amai *

National Open University of Nigeria The National Open University of Nigeria is a Federal government of Nigeria, federal open and distance learning (ODL) institution, the first of its kind in the West African sub-region. It is Nigeria's largest tertiary institution in terms of stu ...

(three study centres, one at Asaba, one at Emevor and another at Owhrode). *Delta State School of Marine Technology, Burutu *

Nigeria Maritime University Founded in 2018, Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, is a non-profit public higher education institution located in Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state. Officially recognized by the National Universities Commission of Nigeria, Nigeri ...

, Okerenkoko,

Warri South West Warri South West is a Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area in Delta State, Nigeria. It was created in 1996 and has its headquarters in Ogbe Ijaw, Ogbe-Ijoh, an Ijaw people, Ijaw community. Warri South-West Local Government Wa ...

*Conarina School of Maritime & Transport Technology, Oria-

Abraka Abraka, is a town in Delta state, Nigeria. It is also home to two of the main 24 urhobo kingdoms. It is mostly known as a university town and has the main campus of the Delta State University located there. Abraka town is a favourite destin ...

*University of Information and Communication Technology,

*State School of Midwifery,

*School of Nursing (two schools, one at

and another at

) *Baptist School of Nursing, Eku * Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo *Eagle Heights University, Omadino, Warri *Admiralty University of Nigeria at Ibusa and

*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

from Bayelsa State by the 850 m bridge (2014) at

Patani Pattani (or Patani in Malay spelling) may refer to: Places Continental Asia * Patani (historical region), a historical region in the Malay peninsula, in Thailand and Malaysia. * Pattani Province, modern province in southern Thailand ** Pattani, ...

and north via Warri to Benin City, *

A232 List of A roads in zone 2 in Great Britain starting south of the River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is ...

( Trans-African Highway 8 Lagos-Mombasa) east from Edo State via Agbor and Asaba to

Onitsha Onitsha ( or simply ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. Onitsha along with various cities and towns in southern Anambra State, northern Imo State and neighboring Delta State on the we ...

by the 1,404 m

River Niger Bridge The River Niger Bridge or Onitsha Bridge is a bridge that connects the southeastern and western regions of Nigeria across the Niger River. The bridge, which was completed in 1965, is located in Onitsha, Anambra State, and links to Asaba, Delta Sta ...

(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

, * 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 Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company, headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Y ...

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 Nana Olomu (also spelled Olumu) (1852–1916) was an Itsekiri chief and palm oil merchant from the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria. He was the fourth Itsekiri chief to hold the position of Governor of Benin River. Background to conflict w ...

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 Olokun ( Yoruba: Olókun) is an orisha spirit in Yoruba religion. Olokun is believed to be the parent of Aje, the orisha of great wealth and of the bottom of the ocean. Olokun is revered as the ruler of all bodies of water and for the authority o ...

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 Demas Nwoko (born 1935) is a Nigerian artist, protean#Cultural references, protean designer, architect and master builder. In the 1960s, he was a member of the Mbari club of Ibadan, a committee of burgeoning Nigerian and foreign artists. He wa ...

, 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,

. The house was constructed by the

Royal Niger Company The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It was formed in 1879 as the ''United African Company '' and renamed to ''National African Company'' in 1881 and to ''Royal Niger C ...

(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 Wilson Oruma (born 30 December 1976) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in France. Club career Oruma was born in Warri, Nigeria. He arrived at RC Lens from Bendel Insurance in ...

, Efetobore Sodje

Blessing Okagbare Blessing Oghnewresem Okagbare-Otegheri (born 9 October 1988) is a former Nigerian track and field athlete who specialized in long jump and sprints. She is an Olympic and World Championships medallist in the long jump and a world medalist in t ...

Jonathan Akpoborie Jonathan Akpoborie (born 20 October 1968) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward and spent the majority of his playing career in Germany. Club career Akpoborie started his professional career at Julius Berger, ...

, 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 Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, professionally known as Ali Baba, is a Nigerian stand-up comedian, master of ceremonies and actor. Early life Ali Baba was born in Agbarha otor, Delta State, Nigeria on 24 June 1965, to the royal family of Agbarha O ...

, 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 Michael Ashikodi Agbamuche (16 August 1920 – 17 April 1998) was a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice for the Federal Republic of Nigeria from September 1994 to 1997, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria ( SAN), was elected in 1979 to t ...

, former Attorney General & Minister for Justice of Nigeria *

Udoka Azubuike Udoka Timothy Azubuike ( ; born September 17, 1999) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for Budućnost of the Prva A Liga and the ABA League. He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and was selected in the first ...

, 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 John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo (6 April 1935 – 13 October 2020) was a Nigerian poet and playwright. He popularly published as J. P. Clark and John Pepper Clark. Life Born in Kiagbodo, Nigeria, to an Ijaw father and Urhobo mother, Clark was a di ...

, the first professor of English in Africa, poet and writer * David Dafinone, Renowned Account/Politician * Destalker, Nigerian comedian *

Paul Dike Paul Dike (born 1950) is a retired air chief marshal of the Nigerian Air Force, who was the Chief of the Air Staff from 2006 to 2008. In August 2008, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff. Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Air Sta ...

, Past Chief of Defence Staff *

Enebeli Elebuwa Enebeli Elebuwa (1946–2012) was a Nigerian actor. Early life Elebuwa was born in the northern part of Delta State. He is an Ukwuani by origin from Isumpe quarters of Utagba-Uno in Ndokwa-West Local Government Area of Delta State. Death Ele ...

, Nigerian Actor *

Ossai Ifeanyi Nwabuonwu Ossai Ifeanyi Nwabuonwu (born Dec. 16 1992) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, diplomat, philanthropist , Ambassador of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) and a member Bretton Woods Committee. He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (C ...

is a Nigerian entrepreneur, diplomat, philanthropist , Ambassador of the

Institute for Economics and Peace The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) is a global think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia with branches in New York City, Mexico City and Oxford. IEP studies the relationship between peace, business, and prosperity, and seeks to pro ...

(IEP) and a member

Bretton Woods Committee The Bretton Woods Committee is an American organization created in 1983 as a result of the agreement between U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Fowler, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Charls Walker – at the time a Democrat and a ...

* Mairo Ese, Nigerian gospel singer *

Tony Elumelu Anthony Onyemaechi Elumelu (born 22 March 1963) is a Nigerian economist, banker and philanthropist. He chairs Heirs Holdings, Transcorp, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and is the founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation. In 2020, Elumelu was ...

UBA Uba or UBA (and diacritic variations) may refer to: Agriculture * Uba, a cultivar of '' Saccharum sinense'' Place names * Ubá, small tropical city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil * Uba, Nigeria, part of Askira/Uba Local Government Area in B ...

and Heirs Holdings *

Godwin Emefiele Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele (born 4 August 1961) is a Nigerian politician, economist and banker who served as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 4 June 2014 until he was succeeded by Folashodun Shonubi, on 9 June 2023. Early life and e ...

present CBN Governor * Olorogun O'tega Emerhor, Nigerian financial industry leader and politician * Ayiri Emami, is a Nigerian businessman, politician, and philanthropist. *

Erigga Erhiga Agarivbie (born 30 March 1987), better known by his stage name Erigga, is a Nigerian rapper and singer born and raised in Delta State. Early life and education Erhiga Agarivbie was born on 30 March 1987 in Warri, Delta State, where h ...

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 Oghenekaro Peter Etebo (born 9 November 1995) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Turkish club Gençlerbirliği. Etebo started out at Warri Wolves where he spent three years before moving into European football ...

, 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 Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin (born 15 February 1971, Burutu, Delta State, Nigeria) is the founder and head prophet of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry (CMDM), Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria. He founded the church on 3 April 2010. Early life and ...

, founder of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry *

Harrysong Harrison Tare Okiri (born 30 March 1981) better known by his stage name Harrysong, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist who rose to fame after his tribute song to Nelson Mandela won the "Most Downloaded Callertune Award" at The H ...

, Nigerian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist *

, 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 Cecilia Ibru (born 22 March 1946) is the former managing director and chief executive officer of Oceanic Bank.Online Nigeria"Cecilia Ibru", ''Online Nigeria'', Accessed December 9, 2012. She is Nigeria's first female bank CEO and was dubbed the f ...

, 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 Elvina Esewvre Ibru is a Nigerian actress and on-air personality. She is a member of the Ibru family and the daughter of industrialist Michael Ibru. Early life and education She attended London Academy of Performing Arts (LAPA) in England. S ...

, 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 Dumebi Andrea Iyamah (born 18 March 1993) is a Nigerian-Canadian fashion designer born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the founder and CEO of the fashion label Andrea Iyamah that caters to bridal, swimwear and ready-to-wear lines. She is kn ...

Owner of Andrea Iyamah Brand *

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian music executive, record producer, singer, songwriter, businessman, and philanthropist. He founded the record label Mavin Records in 2012, as a sub ...

, 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 Stephen Okechukwu Keshi (23 January 1962 – 7 June 2016) was a Nigerian association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. During his playing career, Keshi played as a defender (association football), defender ...

, Nigerian ex-defender, former head coach of the super eagles *

Festus Keyamo Festus Egwarewa Keyamo (born 21 January 1970) is a Nigerian lawyer, columnist and human rights activist who serves as the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria. In April 2018, Keyamo was appointed as the director of Strategi ...

, Nigerian lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN *

Lynxxx Chukie Edozien (born November 24, 1987), better known by his stage name Lynxxx, is a Nigerian hip-hop recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2010 he released his debut studio album ''This is Lynxxx'' and went on to become the first Nigerian artist ...

, Recording artist, entrepreneur and the first Nigerian Pepsi brand ambassador *Senator

Ebiowou, Nigerian politician at the Senate level *

Rosaline Meurer Rosaline Ufuoma Meurer (born 15 February 1992), is a Gambian-born Nigerians, Nigerian actress and producer. She is most known for her 2014 role as Kaylah in the Television show, TV series ''Oasis'' and 2018 role as Kemi Alesinloye in Ayo Makun's ...

, Gambian-born Nigerian actress *

Richard Mofe-Damijo Richard Evans Mofe-Damijo (born 6 July 1961), popularly known as RMD, is a foremost Nigerian actor, writer, producer, lawyer, and former journalist. He was also a Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State in 2009. In 2005, he won the ...

, 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 Nduka Obaigbena CON, Duke of Owa Kingdom is the founding Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of the THISDAY Media Group and ARISE News Channel. Background He was born in Ibadan, South West, Nigeria on July 14, 1959, into the royal family of Owa Kingdo ...

Founder, ThisDay & AriseTV *

Sam Obi Samuel Onyeka Obi (1961/2 – 3 April 2020) was a Nigerian politician and Actor. He was a speaker of Delta State house of assembly and former acting governor of Delta State from 2010 to 2011. Until his death, he was the general overseer of Oracl ...

, Ex-speaker and former acting governor of Delta State *

Governor Delta State * Sunny Ofehe, international human & environmental rights activist *

Kenneth Ogba Kenneth Edafe Ogba (1966/1967 – 27 June 2021) was a Nigerian politician and a member of the Delta State House of Assembly representing Isoko South Constituency 1 in the 7th Delta State House of Assembly. Political career On 9 March 2019, Ke ...

, politician *

Timothy Ogene Timothy Ogene is a writer and lecturer at Harvard. He is the author of '' Descent & Other Poems,'' '' The Day Ends Like Any Day,'' and ''Seesaw''. Biography Born and raised in the outskirts of Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria, he has since ...

, 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 Joy Uche Angela Ogwu (born August 22, 1946) is a former Foreign Minister of Nigeria, foreign minister of Nigeria and a former Permanent Representative, permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York from 2008 to 2017. She ...

, former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the

Tanure Ojaide Tanure Ojaide (born 1948) is a Nigerian poet and academic. As a writer, he is noted for his unique stylistic vision and for his intense criticism of imperialism, religion, and other issues. He is regarded as a socio-political and an ecocentric po ...

, professor of English and renowned writer * Mandy Ojugbana, musician * Okocha, former Super Eagles Captain *

, athlete,

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

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 *

former governor of Delta State *

Ben Okri Sir Ben Golden Emuobowho Okri (born 15 March 1959) is a Nigerian-born British poet and novelist.Ben Okri" ...

, writer,

poet and novelist *

Sunday Oliseh Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh (born 14 September 1974) is a Nigerian football manager and former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Physical yet technically gifted, he played for top European clubs including Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and J ...

, Football Manager and former player *

Omawumi Omawumi Megbele (born 13 April 1982), known by her stage name Omawumi, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress of Itsekiri ethnicity. She is a brand ambassador for Globacom, Konga.com, and Malta Guinness. She's also part of the campaign ...

, Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress; brand ambassador for

Globacom Overview , GLO has over 60.7 million subscribers, making it the second largest network operator in Nigeria. In 2011, GLO became the first telecommunications company to build an $800 million high-capacity fibre-optic cable known as Glo-1, a ...

Konga Konga () is a locality situated in Tingsryd Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway t ...

, Malta Guinness * Mabel Evwierhoma, Professor of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja *

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Rachel Oniga Rachel Oniga (23 May 1957 – 31 July 2021) was a Nigerian film actress. Early life and career Originally from Eku, Delta State in Southern Nigeria, although she was born on 23 May 1957 in Ebute Metta, Lagos State. She began her acting care ...

, was a Nigerian film actress *

Dominic Oneya Dominic Obukadata Oneya (26 May 1948 – 4 August 2021) was Administrator of Kano State, Nigeria from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha, then Administrator of Benue State from August 1998 to May 1999 du ...

, Retired Brigadier General in the

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, former chairman of the

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, Nigerian sprinter and athlete *

Bruce Onobrakpeya Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya (born 30 August 1932) is a Nigerian printmaker, painter and sculptor. He has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Mal ...

, 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 Esegine Allen (born 28 March 1986), better known by his stage name Orezi, is a Nigerian musician from Delta State. He rose to prominence with his song "Rihanna" in 2013. In a chat with Showtime's ''The Cooking Pot'' the singer said that in the ...

, singer, songwriter *

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Alexander Ogomudia Alexander Odeareduo Ogomudia (born 29 December 1949) is a retired Nigerian army General (Nigeria), general who served as Chief of the Defence Staff (Nigeria), Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria from 2003 to 2006 and Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria ...

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* Alfred Rewane, businessman and NADECO financier * Igho Sanomi, Nigerian businessman * SHiiKANE, Nigerian Afro-Pop, Pop, Afrobeat, Jazz, Dance, R&B music group *

Zulu Sofola Nwazuluwa Onuekwuke "Zulu" Sofola (22 June 1935 – 5 September 1995)Biography
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, 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 Patrick Okedinachi Utomi (born 6 February 1956) is a Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and a former presidential candidate. He is the founder of Cen ...

, 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 Efe Ronald Chesterfield is a Nigerian writer, on air personality (OAP), activist , playwright, poet, and essayist. He is an awardee of Nigerian Books of Record, Yessiey Awards and was listed among the Yessiey Africa 100 Most Influential People ...

is a Nigerian writer *

Prince Tega Wanogho Prince Tega Wanogho (born November 22, 1997) is a Nigerian professional American football offensive tackle. He played college football at Auburn Tigers football, Auburn and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2020 N ...

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Faithia Williams Faithia Williams Balogun formerly Faith Williams (born 5 February 1969) is a Nigerian actress, filmmaker, producer and director. Early life and education Faithia Williams is Urhobo from Delta state in the south-south region of Nigeria. She wa ...

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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