Delta State
Delta is a state in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone.
- Capital
- Asaba
- Population
- 6.2M
- Total area
- 17,160 km²
- LGAs
- 25
- House Reps (total)
- 10
- IGR (2024)
- ₦157.8B
- Capital
- Asaba
- Population
- 6.2M
- 2023 estimate
- Land area
- 17,160 km²
- LGAs
- 25
- Senate seats
- 3
- IGR (2024)
- ₦157.8B
- internally generated revenue
Sub-national administrative units
Local government areas (25)
25 constitutional tier-3 units
Geopolitical synthesis
Delta in the federation
Delta is a state in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone.
Bordering territories & maritime boundaries
- Land bordersAnambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo, Rivers
- Southern littoralAtlantic Ocean
Quick facts
- Date created
- 1991
- Known as
- The Big Heart
- Population
- ~6,200,000
- Climate classification
- Tropical Wet & Dry (Aw)
- LGAs
- 25
- Distance to Abuja
- 388 km
Languages, stories and places to explore
Languages spoken
Major cities
Asaba · Warri · Sapele
What to explore · learn
Delta's nickname reflects both its geography — sitting within the Niger Delta — and a self-styled reputation for hospitality.
Delta is home to several distinct groups — Urhobo, Igbo (Anioma), Ijaw, Isoko, and Itsekiri — each with its own language and traditional rulership.
The Ijaw of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West LGA celebrate a seven-day annual festival built around confession, cleansing and the renewal of ancestral covenants.
annualGbaramatuThe Olu of Warri heads the Itsekiri Kingdom, seated at Warri, with Ode-Itsekiri as the cradle of the people. His coronation anniversary is marked with a week of events each August.
Aug · annualOde-ItsekiriWarriThe Olu of Warri introduced the Palace Watch ceremony in December 2021, in which an Itsekiri community takes turns keeping watch over the palace.
Dec · annualWarriA cultural form reported as unique to the Itsekiri people. Details still to be confirmed with local sources.
Ekpu are carved ancestral memorial figures of the Urhobo.
The Asagba is the traditional ruler of Asaba, capital of Delta State.
Asaba
Cultural groups & homelands
Anioma (Delta Igbo)
8 LGAsIgbo-speaking communities of Delta North, often grouped as Anioma, west of the Niger.
Urhobo
8 LGAsUrhobo kingdoms of the central Delta State.
Ijaw of Delta
4 LGAsIjaw communities of the Delta creeks, including the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West.
Itsekiri
3 LGAsThe Itsekiri Kingdom of the western Niger Delta under the Olu of Warri, with Ode-Itsekiri as its cradle.
Isoko
2 LGAsIsoko communities of southern Delta State.
Ukwuani (Kwale)
1 LGAThe Ukwuani (Kwale) people of southern Delta North, whose language is close to but distinct from Igbo.
Major celebrations
- annualGbaramatu
- Dec · annualWarri
Cultural institutions
The Olu of Warri heads the Itsekiri Kingdom, seated at Warri, with Ode-Itsekiri as the cradle of the people. His coronation anniversary is marked with a week of events each August.
Ode-Itsekiri · Warri
The Asagba is the traditional ruler of Asaba, capital of Delta State.
Asaba
Metro areas
Warri Metropolis
Delta State's oil and commercial hub in the western Niger Delta, home to a major refinery and multi-ethnic Itsekiri-Urhobo-Ijaw population.
Asaba Metropolis
Delta State's capital, on the west bank of the Niger River directly opposite Onitsha, linked by the Niger Bridge.