The Forçados River (originally Forcados) is a channel in 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 ...

, in southern

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, ...

. It flows for approximately and meets the sea at 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 ...

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

. It is an important channel for small ships. The Forçados River splits from the

Niger River 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 ...

at Toru-Abubou near Agbere Town in Sagbama Local Government Area of

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 ...

, the same point as the Nun River. People have been fishing on this river for years and then came to a dock on the

to sell/store and use for personal consumption. In the early years of the 20th century, Forçados was a destination port for steamers from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

until the river silted up. A large hoard of bronze artefacts (1 armlet, 7 bells, 3 bracelets, 1 knife and 3 manillas) from the Forçados River can be found in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

's collection.

Pollution

The majority of the rivers in

region including Forçados River, experience and suffer

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

, the region had been an extraction for crude oil for more than 3 decades. Extraction of fossil fuels causes damages leading to excess air, water and soil pollution which are hazardous to the residents health. The location of Forcados River had been a passage for several oil companies in Niger Delta region for conveying crude oil which in return causes water pollution, killing and chasing the aquatic lives in the which the fishermen of the region survives on, and causes degradation of the environment

Flood

Flooding of the Forçados River causes degradation in the area it is located, forcing residents to evacaute while flooding continue to destroy their properties and belongings, it also led to the set back in the agricultural sector where farmers were forced to harvest their farm products prematurely.

References

Rivers of Nigeria Distributaries of the Niger River {{Nigeria-river-stub

Pollution

Flood

See also

References