The towns in Bayelsa state are not as many as other coastal states. This is as a result of the number of local governments in the state. Besides, Bayelsa is a coastal state in Southern Nigeria. That is to say, it is situated between Delta and Rivers state. As they are all in the core Niger Delta region of the country. The state capital is Yenagoa which is one of several state cities.
Bayelsa was created from part of Rivers in 1996. At first, Bayelsa was in the old Rivers state until its creation on October 1st. This was made possible by the Sani Abacha’s military Government. As a result, this makes Bayelsa one of the newest states in Nigeria. Also, the name ‘Bayelsa‘ was formed from the pre-existing states.
Bayelsa state is an oil-producing state. So, it has a riverine and estuarine setting. Due to this, most communities are surrounded by water. Therefore, the roads are completely inaccessible. On the other hand, this is the last identifiable site for the Chimpanzees. Its precise location is the Edumanom Forest Reserve.
Local Governments in Bayelsa
Bayelsa state has eight (8) local governments areas. With these L.G.As are several towns within. Here’s a list of them and their respective towns.
Brass Local Government Area
This local government has its administrative headquarters in Twon-Brass. It is a coastal town on Brass Island. Also, the coastline has approximately 90km on the Bight of Bonny. Moreover, the Edumanom National Forest covers a large part of the area.
Some of the towns in Brass includes;
Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government
Similar to Brass local government, the Bayelsa National Forest occupies most part of Kolokuma. Also, it has its headquarter Kaiama town. And Opokuma falls under the Bayelsa Central Senatorial zone. This is however according to the geopolitical division.
Towns in Kolokuma;
Ogbia Local Government
Ogbia is one of the most prominent local government in the state. The administrative headquarter also has its location in Ogbia town. Meanwhile, this is the home to a former Nigerian president. That is Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
Some towns here include;
Southern Ijaw Local Government
Just like Kolokuma, Ijaw is likewise under Bayelsa central senatorial district. And it has its administrative headquarters in the town of Oporoma.
Prominent towns in Southern Ijaw,
- Ukubie West
Nembe Local Government
Nembe is a very popular local government in the state. Its headquarters is in Nembe. And it happens to be a prominent riverine town in Bayelsa.
Some notable towns include; Ikensi, Mini, and Okoroma. Another is Igbeta-Ewoama.
Ekeremor Local Government
Ekeremor has its location along the state boundaries. It also borders the distant Delta state. And it has a coastline of approximately 60km on the Bight of Bonny. Furthermore, Ekeremor houses the administrative headquarters. There are a few towns here. Some include Oporomor, Tarakiri, and Eduwini.
Yenagoa Local Government
This is the state capital. It also serves as a local government. And probably one of the most popular cities in the state. Most importantly, it is a developed area and houses several industries. Due to this, there are so many towns here. There are the Zarama and Epie towns. Others include Biseni, Attissa, and Gbarain.
Sagbama Local Government
Sagbama is under Bayelsa West Senatorial District. Its administrative headquarters is in Sagbama town. Just like other local governments, it has a few towns. Some include Adoni, Trotani, Sagbama, and Agoro. There are however a few more.
The Ijaw people dominate most part of Bayelsa state. However, there are other distinct tribes in the state. English is the official language of the state. Be that as it may, there are variants of languages. Albeit, some may have different dialects. This is a list of the languages by their local governments.
Brass: This local government speak a few different languages. They are Abureni, Kugbo, and Ogbia. Lastly, there is the Southeast Ijo language.
Ekeremor: The people of this area speak the Izon language.
Kolokuma Opkuma: They also speak the Izon language likewise.
Nembe: This local government speak similar languages to the Brass people. That includes Abureni and Southeast Ijo. The last is Ijon.
Ogbia: Abureni, Ogbia, and Southeast Ijo are languages they speak. These are similar to the Brass people. However, Oruma is the only different language from the Brass community.
Sagbama: This community have a few languages that solely begin to them. Firstly, there is the Okodia language. Another is the Urhobo language. Others include Biseni, Isoko, Izon, and Ogbah.
Southern Ijaw: Their communication comes down to two languages. That is the Southeast Ijo and Izon.
Yenagoa: One or two of these languages are spoken by them only. They are Engenni, Epie, Izon, and Ekpeye.
Towns in Bayelsa State
Bayelsa state is tagged the Glory of all lands. It is also home to Oloibiri. That is the first oil well in Nigeria. This, however, marked the beginning of Nigeria’s economic base shift. The country basically moved from Agriculture to Oil and Gas. In short, Bayelsa is not filled with oil wells only. There are also amazing towns with fun things to do. Below is a list of some towns in Bayelsa.
- Amassoma: The city has its location in the southern Ijaw part of the state. From the map, Amassoma is about 30km away from Yenogoa. That is the state capital. Just like most Ijaw villages, Amassoma is waterside town. With a rich Ijaw cultural heritage, it gets lots of visitors. With some certainty, Amassoma is one of the biggest Ijaw towns. It is second only to Arogbo town in Ondo state. This town houses the state-owned Niger Delta University.
- Nembe: This town is a base for the Nembe kingdom. And the Nembe kingdom is a traditional state in the Niger Delta. Meanwhile, it is a combination of the Nembe and Brass local government areas. On the other hand, the traditional rulers take the title “Amanyanabo”. However, there are slight changes today. Now, leadership is split between Amanyanabo of Ogbolomabiri, Bassambiri, and Twon Brass. During the 2006 census of Bayelsa state, Nembe had a population of 130,931. The number is quite higher than other towns in Bayelsa state.
- Otuoke: According to history, Otuoke originated from the ancient Benin kingdom. Also, Otuoke is a suburb in Ogbia local government. And the predominant occupants are farmers and fishers. This is quite common among other towns in Bayelsa state.
Other towns include;
Bayelsa may not be a big city but if offers a fulfilling experience. With several tourist attractions, you are sure to have a good time. Even corpers testify to having a splendid time. Here are some attractions;
- Akassa Lighthouse
- Kclamola Lounge
- Kontiki Amusement Park and Resort
The Lighthouse is a place of interest to many tourists. This is because it gives interesting insights into the old Bayelsa. Most importantly how they waded off intruders back in the day. There is so much history here. So, everything about Akassa raises one’s curiosity.
Peace park is among the top choices of attractions in the state. It is an amusement park with a vast body of water. As there are always people there in numbers. It is certainly perfect for hangouts and family time.
This is a perfect place for relaxation. As you also get to go enjoy rides on a cruise boat. It is a fantastic place to visit.
Beaches in Bayelsa
Beaches are another fun place that interests foreigners.
- Okpoama Beach
- Odioma Beach
Map of Bayelsa State
Hotels in (Towns in Bayelsa)
This is a list of some of the best hotels in Yenagoa;
- 144 Suites Luxury Hotel
- Golden Tulip Hotel Yenagoa
- Amba Hotels Limited Yenagoa
- La Gold Hotels & Suites Yenagoa
- Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa