Delta

Delta State exists because Warri's oil economy outgrew Benin's governance. Created in 1991 from Bendel State (itself a blend of Benin and Delta provinces), the state encompasses Nigeria's namesake - the Niger Delta - where petroleum extraction defines everything. Warri, founded by Prince Ginuwa from Benin in the late 15th century, hosted Portuguese traders and Catholic converts before oil existed. The Itsekiri kingdom's obis traded with Europeans for two centuries. Today Warri is the economic center while Asaba serves as capital - a deliberate separation of commercial and political power. Three major groups - Urhobo (the earliest settlers, 2.3 million strong), Itsekiri, and Ijaw - compete for oil revenues and land access in tensions that have produced over 25 court cases about Warri alone. The state exports petroleum, rubber, timber, and palm oil through delta ports at Burutu, Forcados, Koko, Sapele, and Warri. An oil refinery in Warri, petrochemical plant in Ekpan, and Delta Steel Company in Aladja represent industrial capacity. Despite oil wealth - or because of it - the state ranks second-lowest in extreme poverty (3% versus national 31%), proving that proximity to extraction can correlate with development when politics allow. By 2026, gas monetization and environmental remediation will determine whether Delta transcends the resource curse.