The pro-delta muds of the Akata Formation, intra-Agbada source units, and Late Cretaceous Shales have all been independently argued by several authors as potential hydrocarbon sources for the known accumulations in the onshore Niger Delta Basin. The geochemical characteristics of the Akata Formation of the Niger Delta Basin are rarely discussed in published reports. Hence, the current study used Total Organic Carbon (TOC)/Rock-Eval Pyrolysis data to evaluate the organic richness, organic matter provenance, petroleum generation potential, and thermal maturation of twenty-four (24) ditch-cuttings of the Akata Formation recovered from an exploratory well. The results of this study revealed that the shale samples of the Akata Formation have TOC contents of greater than 1.0 wt.% and could be regarded as a good source rock. The source rock properties of the Akata Formation show a poor petroleum generation potential, with the predominance of type IV kerogen. The values of maturity parameters (Tmax and Production Index) suggest that the shale samples have no potential to generate hydrocarbons. The results show little likelihood of generating hydrocarbons in commercial quantities from Akata Shale.