MagPg 02a

The following states of Nigeria
(highlighted in red) constitute to
Nigeria ’s South-South region (also
known as the Niger-Delta region) as
shown in the map: Edo, Delta, Bay -
elsa, Ri vers, Akwa Ibom and Cross
Ri ver States
5 THE COUNTRY NIGERIA:
... The terrain is mixed with southern lowlands merging into central hills and
plateaus...
7 MESSAGE FROM THE HONOURABLE PREMIER OF ALBERTTA
...This new Heritage Association will add to our proud multicultural heritage...
9 MESSAGE FROM THE NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER
...ability to understand and accommodate our social differences is helping us to
move the count ry forward ...
8 AKWA IBOM STATE made up of a homogenous group of people believed
to have originated from a single ancestral stock...
10 BAYELSA STATE Peaceful, Secure & Prosperous
15 CROSS RIVER STATE The Nation’s Paradise
19 DELTA STATE known as the state with a BIG HEART
22 EDO STATE The heartbeat of the nation
30 RIVERS STATE The Treasure Base of the Nation

“...With over 70 appraisal
and development wells
drilled every year oil
production was n ow
responsible for over 95%
o f the nation’s foreign
exchange earnings”...

The rapid development of the oil industry in
the 1960s is probably the single most impo rtant
factor in Nigeria’s economic development. As at
today over 98% of oil/gas production in Nigeria
comes from the South-South pa rt of the country.
The product which was to
the whole
economy of Nigeria was systematically
investigated in 1938 by Shell D’Arcy. However
Nigeria’s commercial oil discovery was only
made by Shell in 1956 with the Oloibiri (in the
then Rivers State, now Bayelsa) exploration
success. Thereafter, other smaller were
discovered, and by 1958,the cargo of crude
oil was exported. An average of 4400 barels per
day was being produced by the end of that year.
As the search for oil other companies
decided to join in exploration. More discoveries
were made in 1959 in Ebubu and Bomu oil
in Rivers state and Ughelli in the then Bendel
State (now Delta). These discoveries transformed
Nigeria into one of the key oil producing
countries in the world.
As the level of production increased it was also
found necessary to build a suitable oil terminal
at Bonny (Rivers State) by 1961. Nigeria’s
production had reached 50,000 barels per day.
The oil was built in Alesa-Eleme by
Shell-BP (Rivers State). Today this and the other
at Warri and Kaduna are fully owned
and operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC).
The successes in oil production attracted other
international companies to Nigeria. By 1970
there were 14 companies in total including Gulf
Texaco (now Chevron), Mobil (Exxon-Mobil), Elf
(Total) and Agip at which time offshore areas of
the Niger Delta were opened up for exploration
& production. Oil was now a major industry,
employing over 3000 people directly, with over
500,000 barrels produced per day – thus creating
considerable revenue for the count ry.
fact, oil production was suspended for one
year. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of the
facilities were completed in record time after the
civil war. By 1971 oil production was now over
1,000,000 bar rels per day. With over 70 appraisal
and development wells drilled every year oil
production was now responsible for over 95% of
the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
The Nigerian oil industry, like the international
industry was subject to various changes during
the 1970’s. In 1971, the price of oil was $2/bbl.
By 1974 it had risen more than four-fold and
Nigeria’s oil production had, increased to over 2
million barrels per day. Nigeria’s revenue from oil
had increased to $2.3 billion. Due to the drop in
world oil demand both the oil price, which had
risen to $40/bbl, and oil production dropped
in the early 1980’s. Nigeria currently
produces 2-2.5 million barels per day with a
target to reach 4 million barels per day. This is
the highest in Africa and 11th in the world.
Gas has also been an important by-p roduct of
oil exploration and production; although most
of the gas was Vast in-situ gas have
been discovered, which has had far-reaching
consequences for the Nigerian economy. Major
gas plants have been constructed, supplying gas
to fertilizers plants and for power generation.
The natural gas (LNG) plant, which was
established in 1999 with 2 trains, has grown to the
current 6 trains. These 6 trains export 22 million
tonnes per annum, with fu rther plans to increase
this capacity to 30 million tonnes per annum
in 2012. Oil & Gas production now accounts
for above 90% of Nigeria’s gross earnings.
This dominant role has pushed agriculture, the
traditional mainstay of the economy since the
early to the background.
Major E vents
1938 – Shell D’Arcy granted exploration license to
prospect for oil
1956 – First commercial discovered at
Oloibiri by Shell
1958 – First shipment of oil from Nigeria (4,400
barrels/day)
1961 – Shell Bonny terminal commissioned
1968 – Gulf terminal in Escravos commissioned
1970 – Mobil’s oil at Idobo
1971 – Shell’s forcardos terminal commissioned
1974 – Nigeria acqui res 55% shares in all oil
companies
1975 – First oil lifting for Agip’s Brass terminal
1977 – NNPC established
1979 – Nigeria’s Equity participation increased
to 60%
1991 – Signing of MOU & Joint Venture
Agreement (JOA)
1999 – NLNG shipment of gas
2002 – Liberalisation of the downst ream oil sector
Jack Wilkie, from Delta State in the South-South
region of Nigeria, is a Calgary based technical/
commercial oil & gas advi sor with over 28 yrs
world-wide oil & gas experien ce.
The civil war between 1967-1970 caused great
disruption to oil production facilities, and in

Cross River

...named after the C ross Ri ver which passes th rough the sta te...
History
Cross River State is a coastal state in South Eastern Nigeria, named after
the Cross River, which passes through the state. Located in the Niger Delta,
Cross River State occupies 20,156 square kilometers. It shares boundaries
with Benue State to the no rth, Enugu and Abia States to the west, to the
east by Cameroon Republic and to the south by Akwa-Ibom and the
Atlantic Ocean.
Cross River State was created in May 27, 1967 rom f the former Eastern
Region, Nigeria by the General Yakubu Gowon regime. Its name was
changed to Cross River State in the 1976 state creation exercise by the then
General Murtala Mohammed regime from South Eastern State. The present
day Akwa Ibom State was excised from it in the state creation exercise of
September 1987 by the then regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Its
capital is Calabar. Its major towns are Akamkpa, Biase, Calabar South, Ikom,
Obubra, Odukpani, Ogoja, Ugep, Obudu, Obanliku and Akpabuyo.
Demog raphics
The State is composed of three major ethnic groups-these are the
the Ejagham and the Bekwarra. The language is very widely spoken in
Cross River State, even as far as Arochukwu in neighbouring Abia state.
The speaking people live mainly in the Calabar Municipality and
Calabar South LGAs,and also in Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Odukpani and in parts
of Akamkpa LGAs. There is also the Qua community in Calabar , which
speaks Ejagham.The main Ejagham group occupies mostly the no rthern
sections of the State. The other g roups north of Calabar are known as the
Ekoi’s. The Ekoi’s are the peoole of Biase in Biase LGA,part of Akampka LGA
(i.e Oban) and the Bahumono in Abi LGA.
There is also the Yakurr/Agoi ethnic group in Yakurr LGA, while the
Mbembe are predominantly found in Obubra LGA. Further up the co re
northern part of the state are several sub-dialectical groups, among which
are Etung, Olulumo, Ofutop, Nkim/Nkum, Abanajum, Nseke and Boki in
both Ikom, Etung and Boki LGAs. Also, the Yala/Yache, Ukelle, Ekajuka,
Mbube, Bette, Bekwarra and Utugwanga people are found in Ogoja, Yala,
Obudu and Obanliku LGA’s.
Cross River State epitomises the nation ’s linguistic and cultural plurality and
it is important to note that, in spite of the diversity of dialects, all the ethnic
groups in the state have a common linguistic root -Bantu.