Sagbama is a Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, seated at the town of Sagbama on the Forcados River. It covers 945 square kilometres and recorded a population of 186,869 at the 2006 census.
| State | Bayelsa State |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Sagbama town |
| Area | 945 km² |
| Population (2006 census) | 186,869 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 278,200 |
| Postal code | 561101 |
| Wards | 14 |
| Senatorial district | Bayelsa West |
Towns and Villages in Sagbama
Sagbama holds 14 wards: Agbere, Angalabiri, Ofoni I, Ofoni II, Ebedebiri, Ossiama, Asamabiri, Odoni, Trofani, Sagbama, Agoro, Toru-Ebeni, Adagbabiri and Osekwenike. The 61 settlements below were checked name by name against the 2015 INEC ward and polling-unit records, the GeoNames and OpenStreetMap gazetteers, and the GRID3 Nigeria settlement dataset. Many carry the Izon suffixes "-ama" (town) and "-gbene" or "-biri" (settlement).
- Adagbabiri
- Aduezi
- Aduku
- Afiaware
- Agbere
- Agoligbene
- Agoro
- Agorogbene
- Akeddei
- Akekegbene
- Angalabiri
- Anubeze
- Asamabiri
- Atane-Gbene
- Awigbene
- Biugbene
- Bolougbene
- Borutu-Gbene
- Bulou Orua
- Dagana-Gbene
- Ebedebiri
- Egbepulugbene
- Ekperiware
- Elemebiri
- Ikpidiama
- Isoni
- Kanan
- Ndiama
- New Patani
- Obuare
- Obulu-Gbene
- Odokowari
- Odoni
- Ofoni
- Ogbokiri-ama
- Ogbonogbene
- Ogobiri
- Okpo
- Okumbiri
- Olomu
- Opoubagbene
- Orusakwe
- Osekwenike
- Osifo
- Ossiama
- Oweinamazi
- Owumbiri
- Oyegbene
- Sagbama
- Sekingbene
- Taramagbene
- Toru-Angiama
- Toru-Ebeni
- Toru-Orua
- Torugbene
- Trofani
- Tuburukunu
- Tungbabiri
- Tungbo
- Warrigbene
- Zumangbene
Geography
Sagbama sits in the north-west of Bayelsa, in the freshwater swamp belt of the Niger Delta. The Forcados River, called the Sagbama River where it passes the headquarters, runs through the LGA and carries most of its traffic. Creeks branch off it in every direction, and the settlement pattern follows the water rather than any road grid. Part of the Bayelsa National Forest falls inside the LGA.
To the west and south-west lies Ekeremor; Southern Ijaw lies to the south, and Kolokuma/Opokuma to the east, with Yenagoa beyond it. The Forcados marks much of the boundary between Bayelsa and Delta to the north; the communities around Patani sit on the far bank, which is why Sagbama has a village of its own called New Patani.
The land is flat, rarely more than a few metres above sea level, and low-lying communities flood during the rains. Rainfall across Bayelsa averages about 2,900 millimetres a year, spread over roughly 296 rainy days.
Demographics
The 1991 census recorded 119,759 residents. That rose to 186,869 in 2006, and the 2022 projection puts the LGA near 278,200. Sagbama is overwhelmingly Ijaw, and Izon is the everyday language, with English used in schools, courts and government offices. Communities are organised around compounds and family lines, and most villages are small — a few hundred to a few thousand people each, strung along the riverbank.
Sagbama gave Bayelsa the last three letters of its name. The name was built from Brass (BALGA), Yenagoa (YELGA) and Sagbama (SALGA), the three local government areas that formed the new state on 1 October 1996.
Economy and Local Life
Fishing and farming carry the local economy. Households fish the Forcados and its creeks with nets and traps, and farm cassava, plantain, yam and vegetables on the higher ground behind the settlements. Palm oil processing, canoe building, timber and petty trading fill out the rest. Markets rotate through the bigger villages, and produce moves by canoe as often as by lorry.
Oil and gas production runs through the wider area, and pipeline routes cross the LGA, but the revenue reaches households mainly through jobs and contracts rather than direct earnings. The University of Africa, founded in 2016, is at Toru-Orua and is the largest single employer among the villages.
Getting There
Sagbama town lies north-west of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, and is reached by road from the capital. Shared taxis and buses run the Yenagoa route daily. Several riverside communities — Ofoni, Agbere, Angalabiri and the Toru- settlements among them — are easier to reach by boat, and outboard canoes leave from the jetties at Sagbama, Patani and Toru-Ebeni. The nearest airport is Bayelsa International Airport at Amassoma, in Southern Ijaw.
FAQ
How many towns and villages are in Sagbama?
This directory lists 61 towns and villages in Sagbama LGA, each verified against INEC ward and polling-unit records, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap and the GRID3 settlement dataset.
What is the headquarters of Sagbama LGA?
Sagbama town, on the Forcados River, is the administrative headquarters.
What is the Sagbama LGA postcode?
The postal code is 561101, used across the whole LGA.
How many wards does Sagbama have?
Fourteen: Agbere, Angalabiri, Ofoni I, Ofoni II, Ebedebiri, Ossiama, Asamabiri, Odoni, Trofani, Sagbama, Agoro, Toru-Ebeni, Adagbabiri and Osekwenike.
What language is spoken in Sagbama?
Izon, the Ijaw language, is spoken throughout the LGA. English is the language of administration and schooling.
Which local government areas border Sagbama?
Ekeremor to the west, Southern Ijaw to the south and Kolokuma/Opokuma to the east, with the Delta boundary along the Forcados River to the north.
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