Bonny (originally Okoloama) is a traditional, coastal town and a Local Government Area (LGA) in Rivers State in Southern Nigeria, on the Bight of Bonny. It is also the capital of the Kingdom of Bonny.

Bonny
Okoloama
City and Local Government Area
Bonny Island
Bonny panoramic
Bonny panoramic
Bonny is located in Nigeria
Bonny
Bonny
Coordinates: 4°26′N 7°10′E / 4.433°N 7.167°E / 4.433; 7.167
Country Nigeria
StateRivers State
Ibani, Igbo, EnglishLanguages
Government
 • TypeLocal Government Council
 • Local Government ChairmanHon. (Dame) Anengi Barasua
(Action Peoples Party - APP)
Area
 • Total
249.27 sq mi (645.60 km2)
Population
 (2006)
 • Total
214,983[1]
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)
Postal/Zip code
503101

The region produces a type of crude oil known as Bonny Light oil. Much of the oil extracted onshore in Rivers State is piped to Bonny for export. It has the biggest LNG Gas Plant in Nigeria with six (6) trains. Currently, the Federal Government of Nigeria has set plans for the construction of the 7th train of the NLNG to boost its gas production in anticipation of dominating the African market.

Bonny has a bridge being constructed from Bodo in Gokana LGA (also in Rivers State) to enable land transportation. A deep seaport is underway as a corporate social responsibility project from CCECC.

Kingdom of Bonny

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The Kingdom of Bonny was a sovereign state in the Niger Delta. It is currently one of Nigeria's traditional states.

The original first settlement, which began as a small town, was called Okoloama, a name taken from the Okulo (or Curlews) that inhabited the island in large numbers.[2][3]

The Kingdom of Bonny was powerful beginning in the 15th century with the advent of the Portuguese and the following Atlantic slave trade. In the 19th century, it came under increasing pressure from the British to end the trade. It collapsed in the subsequent Bonny civil war of 1869 which led to part of Bonny leaving to go form another Kingdom of Opobo.[4] A remnant of Bonny continues to exist, however, as a part of the contemporary aristocratic structure of Nigeria.

Presently, Bonny Kingdom is subdivided into two main segments – the mainland and the hinterland. The mainland comprises Bonny Island that has both Okoloama and Finima and their segments, namely the Main Island (Township), Sandfield, Iwoama, Orosikiri, Aganya, Ayambo, Akiama, Isilegono, New Road, Wilbross pipeline, Workers Camp, and some outlying fishing settlements lying along the Bonny River's coastline. The hinterland includes the village communities such as Kuruma, Fibiri, Oloma, Ayama, Kalaibiama, Ifoko, Sangamabie, Abalamabie and Epellematubo.

Climate/Geography

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The island known as Bonny LGA is located in the Bight of Bonny. The LGA has two different seasons—the rainy and the dry seasons—and a total area of 646 square kilometers. Bonny LGA's average temperature is recorded at 25 degrees Celsius, and the area's humidity content is reported at 92%.[5][6][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ population at LGAs in geohive.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20131019213332/http://www.geohive.com/cntry/nigeria.aspx. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2013-04-07. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ Leonard, Arthur Glyn (1906). The lower Niger and its tribes. London, New York: Macmillan. OL 6982668M.
  3. ^ "Attractions, Activities and History of Bonny Island". finelib.com. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Alagoa, E. J. (1971). Nineteenth Century Revolutions in the Eastern Delta states and Calabar. Journal of Historical Society of Nigeria 5(4). pp. 565–570.
  5. ^ "Bonny Local Government Area". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  6. ^ "Bonny Weather Forecast - Rivers, NG". www.worldweatheronline.com. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  7. ^ "Simulated historical climate & weather data for Bonny". meteoblue. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
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4°26′N 7°10′E / 4.433°N 7.167°E / 4.433; 7.167