When was Delta State created in Nigeria?

Delta State is an oil-producing state, located in the Southern part of Nigeria. This is a region with a dense population and its own history. If you are reading this article, you are interested in answer to the question: “When was Delta State created”? So, let us provide you with a brief introduction to Delta State’s history and peculiarities.

This region of the country is located in the Niger Delta region and is headed to the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. In the past, these areas were unapproachable to the white slavers due to malaria-causing mosquitoes, and the soldiers of the local kings caught tribesmen for them in exchange for "fire water". Those days are in the past, and today, the tribal chiefs receive a share in the profit of oil companies.

What year was Delta State created in Nigeria?

The Delta State was born out of the former Bendel state, and this happened on 27 August 1991. So, this is the date of creation of Delta State in Nigeria. The state was created as a result of the agitation for the creation of separate counties by the Urhobos and Anioma.

The then military President, General Ibrahim Babangida created the state using the name "Delta" gotten from the Niger Delta, and "Asaba" as another name, which was proposed by the inhabitants of Anioma to be the capital of the proposed "Anioma state.". Delta State was integrated into the middle Western state from 1963 to 1976. The same happened again later on, but this time as Bendel state from 1976 to 1991. The name "Bendel" (Ben-Del) meant Benin-Delta, and it reflected the integration of the provinces of Benin and Delta.

Brief history of Delta State creation

The majority of the people living in Niger Delta are the Ijaws, and they made their contribution to the creation of Delta State in Nigeria. They were the first Nigerians who came into contact with the Europeans. Ijaw played the role of intermediaries in the slave trade between the coast, where the Europeans lived and the region. Malaria reigned among the swamps of the Niger Delta, and before the advent of quinine, this area was called the Grave of the white man.

The Southern region of Nigeria (Delta State) consists of six states located within the Niger Delta region. All these states (except Edo) head to the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.

The Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea are located in the Equatorial climatic zone. They have roughly the same temperature throughout the year. A significant amount of rain falls there. This is a zone of damp equatorial forests, and mangrove thickets have remained on the coastline. One can see areas of higher ground only in Cross-river state on the border with Cameroon.

Delta State has experienced some development overtime, and all areas suitable for agriculture are already occupied by crops. Forests are under the threat of destruction due to burning for the purpose of increasing the cultivated area and deforestation for firewood. The fauna is under threat of destruction because of poaching: most people hunt animals for food. And people of the Fulani tribe increasingly encroach on these lands for cattle grazing which leads to severe inter-ethnic conflicts.

The only large protected area is the National Park of the Cross River with an area of about 4 km2. The park covers the area of tropical rain forest (one of the oldest in Africa) and mangrove swamps and thickets. The park is home to 16 species of rare primates that are being pushed towards extinction, including the common chimpanzee, the drill, the Western river gorilla, and maned mangabey. All of them are often hunted for their meat. The park is famous as the habitat of thousands of butterflies species and 400 species of birds.

The contribution of the Delta State to the country's economy is very significant (only the South-Western region brings higher contribution thanks to Lagos state). This place is a home to a significant number of the population and more than 40 ethnic groups, the largest of which are Igbo and Ijaw.

More than 90% of national oil fields of Nigeria is concentrated in the Niger Delta, which is included on one of the ten largest oil producing countries in the world. Delta State is a predominantly flat territory, formed of river sediment material with silt and sand brought by the river Niger from the interior areas of the country.

Source: Naija.ng