By Ogbonna Nwuke Andoni, one of the 23 local government areas in Rivers State is bounded to the north by Khana Local Government, Opobo/Nkoro to the east, Bonny to the west and the Atlantic ocean to the south. The Obolos as they are known occupy the longest stretch of the Cross River Basin in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region which has huge oil and gas deposits. Facts indicate that such oil and gas deposits are the largest in the Gulf of Guinea.
With a population of over 311,500 people, according to figures obtained from the last census exercise conducted in Nigeria, the Andoni people who have their headquarters at Ngo Town occupy an area of over 233 km2. The Obolo people are a multi-ethnic group found in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states. They are equally found in Ido and Ohafia.
Primarily, they are of Ijaw stock and are predominantly fishermen. Oyorokoto, an Obolo settlement is perhaps one of the largest fish markets on the black continent. Cut off from the rest of the State by rivers and rivulets, the Obolo people are blessed with bountiful natural resources, wildlife such as elephants and white sandy beaches which, if harnessed, could help in many ways to promote tourism.
Over the years, they have prayed for a time when they would become part of a changing developmental landscape in a State that is fondly described as the Treasure Base of the Nation. As a result of difficulties arising from the nature of the Andoni environment, health and educational infrastructure within .