About

Bayelsa State lies at the heart of the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria, bordered by Rivers State to the east and Delta State to the west, with the Atlantic Ocean along its southern coast. Carved out of Rivers State on 1 October 1996, it is one of the newest states in the federation and comprises eight local government areas, with Yenagoa as its capital. Bayelsa's economy is dominated by the petroleum industry; it is the site of the Oloibiri oilfield, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1956, and it holds one of the country's largest gas reserves, estimated at around 18 trillion cubic feet. Beyond oil and gas, opportunities exist in fisheries, aquaculture, agriculture and tourism across its extensive waterways. Public finance priorities focus on diversifying away from oil dependence, expanding internally generated revenue and investing in infrastructure and human capital.