Yenagoa

{{Short description|Capital city of Bayelsa State, Nigeria}}

{{Use Nigerian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox settlement

| official_name = Yenagoa

| other_name = YELGA

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| imagesize = 300px

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| pushpin_map = Nigeria

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| pushpin_mapsize = 250

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Nigeria

| seat_type = Headquarters

| seat = Yenagoa

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = {{flag|Nigeria}}

| subdivision_type1 = State

| subdivision_name1 = Bayelsa State

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| government_type = Local Government Council

| leader_title = Local Government Chairman

| leader_name = Toby Andy (PDP) {{Cite web | url = https://bayelsawatch.com/gov-diri-swears-in-8-lg-caretaker-chairmen-heads-of-rdas/ | title = Gov. Diri swears in 8 LG Caretaker Chairmen, Heads of RDAs | date = 26 July 2023 | access-date = 2025-01-27}}

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| unit_pref = Metric

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| area_total_km2 = 706.7

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| population_as_of = 2024 est

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| population_total = 798,466

| population_footnotes = {{Cite web |title=MINA Ijaw Population Report 2024 Estimate {{!}} PDF {{!}} Nigeria |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/834960992/MINA-Ijaw-Population-Report-2024-Estimate |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Scribd |language=en}}

| population_density_km2 = auto

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| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities

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| population_blank2_title = Religions

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| timezone = WAT

| utc_offset = +1

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| coordinates = {{coord|5|02|N|6|20|E|type:adm2nd_region:NG|display=inline,title}}

| module = {{Infobox mapframe|wikidata=yes|zoom=8|marker=village|coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}

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| postal_code_type = 3-digit postal code prefix

| postal_code = 561

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| iso_code = NG.BY.YE

| blank_name = Climate

| blank_info = Am

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}}

Yenagoa{{Cite web |title=Yenagoa Archives |url=https://guardian.ng/tag/yenagoa/ |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}} is a Local Government Area{{Cite web |title=Nigeria: Administrative Division (States and Local Government Areas) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/nigeria-admin.php |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.citypopulation.de}} and capital city of Bayelsa State,{{Cite web |title=Bayelsa State |url=https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/topics/c5qvpq9d50nt |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=BBC News Pidgin}} Southern Nigeria.{{Cite web|title=About Yenagoa|url=https://yenagoa.investbayelsa.by.gov.ng/about-yenagoa/|access-date=2021-09-15|website=City Of Yenagoa|language=en-US}} It is located at the Niger-Delta region of the country at coordinates {{Coord|4|55|29|N|6|15|51|E|region:NG_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}.

The LGA has an area of 706 km² and an estimated population{{Cite web |title=population {{!}} Definition, Trends, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/population-biology-and-anthropology |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} of 798,466 at 2024.{{Cite web |title=MINA Ijaw Population Report 2024 Estimate {{!}} PDF {{!}} Nigeria |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/834960992/MINA-Ijaw-Population-Report-2024-Estimate |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Scribd |language=en}}

The postal code of the area is 561.{{cite web | title = Post Offices- with map of LGA | publisher = NIPOST | url = http://www.nipost.gov.ng/PostCode.aspx | access-date = 2009-10-20 }}

The Ijaws form the majority of the Local Government Area.{{Cite web |title=Overview of Bayelsa – Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group |url=https://www.nigerdeltabudget.org/overview-of-bayelsa/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |language=en-US}}{{Cite journal |last=Ariye |first=E. C |version=Online |title=The Ijo (Ijaw) People of Delta State: Their Early History and Aspects of Social and Cultural Practices |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234668573.pdf |journal=Historical Research Letter |volume=8 |pages=1–2 |via=IISTE}} English is the official language,{{Cite web |last=Nations |first=United |title=Official Languages |url=https://www.un.org/en/our-work/official-languages |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=United Nations |language=en}} but Epie-Atissa language is one of the local languages{{Cite web |title=Spoken languages of African countries - Nations Online Project |url=https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/african_languages.htm |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=www.nationsonline.org}} spoken in Yenagoa, others such as Ekpetiama, Gbarian, Buseni and Zarama are Ijaw dialect in Yenagoa LGA.{{Cite web|date=2015-11-03|title=Bayelsa moves to save Izon language from extinction|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/11/bayelsa-moves-to-save-izon-language-from-extinction/|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Kolesnik|first=Kay|date=2018-10-30|title=What do you know about Bayelsa State history?|url=https://www.legit.ng/1200389-history-bayelsa-state-interesting-facts-know.html|access-date=2021-09-16|website=Legit.ng - Nigeria news.|language=en}}

Bayelsa Airport (Bayelsa International Airport) is an airport located in the Bayelsa State{{Cite web |title=Bayelsa State Government – The Glory of all Lands |url=https://bayelsastate.gov.ng/ |access-date=2022-03-09 |language=en-US}} capital of Yenagoa, southern Nigeria. Yenagoa Bayelsa Airport received its first aircraft arrival on February 14, 2019.{{Cite web|title=Yenagoa Bayelsa Airport Profile {{!}} CAPA|url=https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/airports/yenagoa-bayelsa-airport|access-date=2021-09-14|website=centreforaviation.com}}

Yenagoa is the home of Bayelsa United, a men's association football club that plays in the second-tier Nigeria National League, and Bayelsa Queens, a women's football club in the NWFL Premiership. The two clubs won the 2021 Aiteo Cup for men and women respectively. The men's match took place at the new Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Benin.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-10 |title=Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium best in Nigeria —Kwara dep gov |url=https://punchng.com/samuel-ogbemudia-stadium-best-in-nigeria-kwara-dep-gov/ |access-date=2022-03-12 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}} Bayelsa United defeated Nasarawa United 4–3 on penalties after the regular period and added time had ended 2–2.{{Cite web|title=Bayelsa United upset Nasarawa United as Yenagoa clubs rule Aiteo Cup|url=https://guardian.ng/sport/bayelsa-united-upset-nasarawa-united-as-yenagoa-clubs-rule-aiteo-cup/|access-date=2021-09-18|website=guardian.ng|date=9 August 2021 |language=en-US}}