The History and Origin of Delta State

There is something incredibly fresh about history. Each time, it feels like taking a stroll down the memory of your ancestors to find the origin of a thing. This same feeling is aroused in this beautiful history of the Old Bendel State.

Bendel State was formed from the ancient Benin and Delta State provinces of Western Region-Delta to project the integration of Delta and Benin provinces. That old Bender State became the new Niger Delta on August 27, 1991. During the pre-colonial era, as it is with many African countries, as at the period of its former state, it was divided into two various monarchial states like the Kingdom of Agbor and Warri, before it turned out to be part of the British Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884. There was also such colonial control in the present Niger Delta state as at 1910 because of the uprisings of the Ekumeku movement. The colonial forces did not gain such permanent control of the new Delta state until that movement. Due to that, after its independence, it became part of the Mid-Western region.

The Delta state is the 23rd most largest in area and the twelfth most populous, of the 36 states with an approximated population of over 5.6 million as of 2016. For years now, the population includes diverse ethnic groups like the Ukwani in the East; the Ika, Ozanogogo, and Olukumi in the NorthEast; the Isoko and Eruwa in the centre of the state; the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Uvwie, and Urhobo in the SouthEast; and the Anioma in the NorthWest. It is a state named after the Niger Delta, which is a large part of the current Delta state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered on the four cardinal points by five states; on the South by Bayelsa state, on the North by Edo state, the east by Anambra and Rivers state, and the West by the Night of Benin, which is about 160km of the state's coastline. 

Political Administration in Delta State

The state now has 25 Local Government Areas, much more than the initial number which was 12 as at 1991, when the state was formed. The 25 Local Government Areas are: Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Burutu, Bomadi, Ethiope East, Ethiope West, Ika South, Ika North, Isoko North, Isoko South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Okpo, Patani, Sapele, Udu, Ugheli North, Ugheli South, Ikwani, Uvwie West, Uvwie North, Uvwie South, and Uvwie Southwest. The capital of Delta is Asaba and it is located  along the River Niger on the Northeastern end of the state, while the state's economic center is Warri on the Southwestern coastline.

Geographically, the state's landmass is about 15,050km square (66,97089 mi), of which the land occupies more space, and estimated to be more than 60%. Lying approximately between 5°00' and 6°45' East and 5°OO' and 6°30' North, Delta is located in Nigeria's Midwest which is bounded in the north and west by Edo state. It is divided between the central African mangroves in the coastal southwest and the Nigerian low land forest, it contains the Forcados River, which flow along the State's Eastern and Southern borders, and the River Niger and it's distributary. Much of what makes up the Niger Delta is the Escravos River which runs through Warri and the coastal areas which are riddled with dozens of smaller Niger distributaries. It also has a wide coastal belt interlace with rivulets steams, which form the part of Niger River Delta, and it is lying low without any memorial hills. In addition to it's geographical features, the State's nature contain threatening animals like Dwarf crocodiles, Grey parrot, African fish eagle, Mona monkey,  African threadfin, crabs, Blue mussel, along with various Cetacean species, and African manatee.  

Economically, Delta state is known for its large and substantial production of crude oil and natural gas, that in Nigeria, it has the 4th highest Human Development Index, although disputes between oil companies and local communities along with years of systemic corruption have resulted into harshness that are often tied to the lack of development in host communities. It is the sales of petroleum products that drives it's economy. The state also involve in agriculture, as it involves itself in the farming of yam, cassava, and oil palm crops, in addition to fishing and heliciculture. Delta state also have different industries like the brick making, ceramics, glass and bottle manufacturing, chemicals or insulators production, bottle manufacturing, decorative stone cutting, quarrying, sanitary waves, and chalk manufacturing industries, which are produced from the state's raw materials which are the solid minerals deposits within the state. They are: the industrial clay, limestone, silica, lignite, tar sand, decorative rocks, and kaolin among others, although most of these solid minerals are under-utilised for their processes.

Politically, the state has 3 senatorial districts, the North, South, and Central, and the governor and chief of Delta state is Governor Arthur Okowa Ifeanyi, since April 2015 till date; a People's Democratic Party candidate, while his deputy is Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro, and also a People's Democratic Party candidate.

 

Delta State is located in Nigeria's South-South geopolitical zone. The state was founded on during general Ibrahim Babaginda's regime, the general recognized Delta as a state and chose Asaba as its capital. Delta is named after the Niger Delta, which covers a substantial portion of the state . Delta is the 23rd biggest state by size and the twelfth most populated. The state is divided geographically between Central African mangroves in the coastal southwest and Nigerian lowland woods in the majority of the remainder of the state, with a minor piece of the Niger Delta swamp forests in the extreme south. Before becoming a part of the British Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884, the territory that is now Delta State was separated into many monarchial nations, including the Kingdom of Warri and the Agbor Kingdom. The protectorate (now renamed the Niger Coast Protectorate) was included into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate in the early 1900s, which ultimately merged into British Nigeria. The name "Delta" comes from the point where the Niger River meets the sea. Due to ethnic instability prompted by the changing of the title of Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri in 1952, this name was changed from the former Warri province. To appease the province's non-Itsekiri residents, the name Delta Province was established, which subsequently evolved into Delta State.

Urhobo, Itesekiri, Ijaw (Izon), Isoko, and Anioma (Igbo) are the most populous ethnic groups in Delta State. The state is made up of the Enuani, Ukwani, Ndokwa, and Ika ethnic groups, together known as Anioma, and the Delta people, who are made up of the Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Isoko ethnic groups. Their attire, language, festivals, music, and culture all reflect ancestral and traditional administration institutions.  The people are kind, knowledgeable, resourceful, and hardworking. They are very welcoming due to the fact that they all come from different tribes.

 

Delta state is Known for its mineral resources, mostly crude oil. The Agricultural sector was once the nation's source of income before crude oil was discovered in Niger Delta in 1956 since then nigeria has focused its energy on the development of oils wells, transporting of crude oil and the refining of the crude oil. Yes, Delta also offers varous other mineral resources such as kaolin, Natural gas, marble, graphite and the likes, it is mostly recognized in history for its role in the history of how crude oil was discovered in nigeria.

 

Delta state has many historical sociopolitical, and cultural sights that are tourists' attractions worthy. Some of them are: 'The Nana's Palace' which was built by a powerful 19th century indigenous entrepreneurer who traded with the British, before the relationship eventually turned sour, and was exiled to Ghana. The personal things he left are housed in this grand palace. He is called Chief Nana Olomu, the Lander Brothers Anchorage located in Asaba, which was built in memory of early British explorers. It has a graveyard, a museum, and many writings and artworks. It houses many visible memories like the replica of one of the boats that was used by the brothers; the Falcop Mangrove Park; the Araya Bible Site, which houses a copy of the Holy Bible. Many people believe that the bible descended to this spot in a very miraculous way around August 1914; the Demas Nwoko Edifice, which was built with traditional materials, designs and construction techniques of the Igbo civilisation by Demes Nwoko, who was an architect, artist, and the builder of international repute from Idumeje to Ugboko in Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State; and the Warri Kingdom Royal Cemetery, which is 512 years old and functions as a resting abode of past rulers of the kingdom. A tree is planted on each grave.

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