South South · Capital: Yenagoa
Bayelsa State
Governor: Douye Diri
Population
1,704,515
Land area
10,773 km²
Created
October 1, 1996
Governance
Senator Douye Diri (APC) has served as Governor of Bayelsa State since February 2020, re-elected to a second term beginning February 2024. He defected from the PDP to the APC in October 2025. Known as the 'Miracle Governor,' he chairs the South-South Governors' Forum as of 2026.
History
Bayelsa State was created on 1 October 1996 from the former Rivers State, under the military regime of General Sani Abacha. Its name combines acronyms of three of its local government areas: Brass, Yenagoa, and Sagbama. It is Nigeria's least populous state and has the fewest local government areas (8) of any state. Its official 2006 census population was 1,704,515.
Natural Resources
Petroleum
The most important mineral resource in the state, central to its economy.
Tourism
The longest coastline in the West African sub-region, with an extensive riverine and estuarine landscape characteristic of the Niger Delta.
- Niger Delta coastline and creeks
Agriculture
Palm oil milling, lumbering, palm wine tapping, and fishing remain significant alongside the dominant oil economy.
Oil palm · Cassava · Fish
Investment
The state's 2026 'Budget of Assured Prosperity II' (₦1.01 trillion) funds a newly commissioned 60-megawatt gas turbine plant in Ogbia LGA, and the Nembe-Brass Road project aimed at unlocking a 'Blue Economy' via the Brass Atlantic Terminal.
Oil & gas · Power generation · Blue economy & ports · Agriculture
Infrastructure
Education
Niger Delta University