Although COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available in Bayelsa State, adequate immunization of the population is hampered by vaccine hesitancy. This study aimed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. One thousand and a hundred (1,100) adults aged ≥ 18 years were selected from 300 randomly selected households in two semi-urban communities in Bayelsa State and were interviewed in this descriptive cross-sectional survey. Willingness to receive COVID- 19 vaccines and the associated factors were assessed using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. A slim majority of the 1,100 participants were women (51.1%) and single (72.6%). About half of the participants were university undergraduates (52.2%). Awareness of COVID-19 among the participants was 67.1%, and less than a third of respondents were unwilling to take the COVID-19 testing. However, the unwillingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccine was high in the population (45.5%). On bivariate analysis, willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine was associated with having ever heard of the vaccine (p<.001), willingness to take COVID-19 testing (p<.001), and educational qualification (p<.001). On regression analysis, only willingness to take testing (p=0.000, CI=0.267, 0.446) and prior vaccine awareness (p= 0.049, CI = 0.592, 0.446) independently related to a willingness to take the vaccine. Common reasons for unwillingness to take COVID-19 vaccines included possible side effects, safety, and efficacy concerns. The willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in this mostly educated and youthful populace was relatively poor. Public health education concerning the safety and efficacy of the vaccine should be intensified to improve the community’s willingness.