On October first, Bayelsa State marks thirty years since its creation by a former Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha, from the old Rivers State.
Three decades on, the State has logged notable progress while continuing to navigate key developmental hurdles.
A cross section of stakeholders in the State say while there is need to clink glasses in celebration, much more still needs to be done to actualize the dreams of the founding fathers.
Bayelsa, which goes with the moniker ‘The Glory of All Lands,’ has come a long way since it was carved out of the old Rivers State on October 1, 1996.
Covering roughly 10,773 square kilometers across eight local government areas, the state is home to the Ijaw ethnic nationality, alongside the Epie-Atissa, Ogbia, and other communities. It features a unique geography: inner Delta wetlands in Southern Ijaw, Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, and Ekeremor; Atlantic coastal frontiers in Nembe, Brass, and Akassa; and a central land belt anchored by Yenagoa, the state’s commercial and administrative capital as well as Ogbia.
As a primary hub in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa holds a historic role as the birthplace of Nigeria’s oil industry—marked by the 1956 discovery at the Oloibiri Oilfield located in Otuabagi. Today, the State accounts for an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s oil output and harbors Nigeria’s largest gas reservoir, estimated at 18 trillion cubic feet.
Politically, Bayelsa has been guided by four military administrators and five elected civilian governors, along with two acting governors.
Thirty years in, stakeholders agree the state has expanded its infrastructure—stretching roads into riverine terrains, broadening health and educational facilities, and advancing human capital.
Former Speaker of the State House of Assembly and current General Manager of the State Housing and Property Development Authority, Tonye Isenah, notes that while Bayelsa is no longer where it started, critical sectors still demand urgent focus.
“…All local governments now have technical colleges, we have cottage hospitals… so a lot has happened in Bayelsa. We have every reason to be happy. The state was created and governance came closer to us. But we should begin to think about our marine transport, basically talking about tourism development. …Our Epie Creek in Yenagoa here should have been cleaned up, dredged very well… and we could be having boat cruises… We are farmers and fishermen, what do we do to improve our aquaculture, fisheries, so that we should start exporting?” Isenah asks rhetorically.
An educationist and former Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Bodiseowei Atari Adou, commends the founding fathers’ sacrifices. However, he points out that a lack of adherence to a master development blueprint has hindered full progress relative to the state’s revenues.
“I would say progress has been made, but you see, there must be parameters. …Truth be told, we were not prepared—infrastructure-wise, leadership-wise. There’s no blueprint to follow. Yenagoa as our state capital was a virgin land… We need to upgrade the state capital and we need to also push it beyond Yenagoa. …Whatever we do should be based on world standards’, he insisted.
Civil society activist, Princess Elizabeth Egbe, adds that while statehood opened significant pathways for the Ijaw nation, stronger political will is required to maximize development.
“…Bayelsa State now at 30 years, there are a lot of questions we need to ask ourselves. How many cities do we have in Bayelsa State? Yenagoa is yet to attain the city status. …The people who fought for the creation of Rivers State and Bayelsa State, they have a vision; are we pursuing that vision?” Princess Egbe asks.
For many residents, the immediate priority remains addressing environmental degradation—specifically oil pollution, annual flooding, and coastal erosion—while ensuring hydrocarbon revenues directly elevate standard of living across local communities.