Onitsha
Encyclopedia
Onitsha is a city, a commercial
, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river
in Anambra State
, southeastern Nigeria
.
In the early 1960s, before the Nigerian Civil War
(see also Biafra
), the population was officially recorded as 76,000, and the town was distinctive in a number of dimensions; the great Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe
(born and raised in the contiguous town of Ogidi
) characterized it as harboring an "esoteric region from which creativity sallies forth at will to manifest itself," "a zone of occult instability" (see "Onitsha Matters" http://www.amightytree.org). Though it experienced great suffering during and after the civil war, by virtue of its still-strategic geographic position Onitsha has continued to develop, and by 2001 had an estimated population of 511,000 with a metropolitan
population of 1,003,000. It is currently one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
The indigenous people of Onitsha are Igbo and speak the gbo language. It is here worth noting that Onitsha should not be confused with the local municipality of Onicha
lying further east in Nigeria. Onicha-Uboma, Onicha-Uburu, Onicha-Nwenkwo are just some of smaller Onicha scattered across southern Nigeria.
words, and perhaps from the word 'Orisha
'. However, the existence of quite a number of communities bearing 'Onicha' in the eastern Igbo hinterland, whose history do not relate to Edo, did severely jeopardise this hypothesis. Onicha-Uboma, Onicha-Uburu, Onicha-Nwenkwo are just some of these lesser known Onicha scattered in Igboland.
Onitsha was known as Ado N'Idu by citizens who departed from the vicinity of the Kingdom of Benin near the far western portion of Igboland (near what is now Agbor
), after a violent dispute with the Oba of Benin
that can be tentatively dated to the early 1500s. Traveling eastward through what is now Western Igboland (and various towns also called "Onitsha", for example Onicha-Ugbo
, "farmland-Onitsha"), the Onitsha, led by one Chima eventually crossed the Niger River and settled on the east bank in their current location
After their arrival on the east bank (Onicha-mmili,"Onitsha-on-water", see above), the community gradually became a unitary kingdom, evolving from a loosely organized group of "royal" and "non-royal" villages into a more centralized entity. Eze Aroli, was apparently the first genuinely powerful Obi of Onitsha
, the ruler of the city.
In 1857 British
palm oil
traders established a permanent station in the city, Christian missionaries joining them headed by the liberated African bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther
(a Yoruba
recaptive) and Reverend John Taylor (an Igbo Recaptive). In 1900 Onitsha became part of a British protectorate
.{ The British colonial government and Christian missionaries penetrated most of Igboland
to set up their administration, schools and churches through the river port at Onitsha.
in the mid 1850s following the abolition of slavery and with the development of the steam engine when Europeans were able to move into the hinterland. Trade in palm kernels and palm oil which was going on on the coast of Bight of Biafra
since 12th century was now moved upwards and other cash crops also boomed around this river port in the 19th century. Immigrants from the hinterland of Igboland
were drawn to the emerging boom town as did the British traders who settled there in Onitsha, and coordinated the palm oil and cash crops trade. In 1965, the Niger River Bridge
was built across the Niger River to replace the ferry crossing.
society, the people speak Igbo
and English languages. There is a catholic cathedral, Anglican cathedral and it is the headquarters of so may church organizations and sociocultural groups. A federal government college is situated in the town. There is an army barrack, a school of metallurgy, and it is the home of the biggest market in the whole of Africa, the Onitsha Main Market.
Onitsha lies at a major east-west crossing point of the Niger River
, and occupies the northernmost point of the river regularly navigable by large vessels. These factors have historically made Onitsha a major center for trade between the coastal regions and the north, as well as between eastern and western Nigeria. Onitsha possesses one of the very few road bridge crossings of the mile-wide Niger River and plans are in place to add a second bridge near it. Today, Onitsha is a textbook example of the perils of urbanization without planning or public services.
is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha. The Anglican
church also has a cathedral
in the city. The Anglican was the first missionary in Onitsha in 1857. Later came the Catholics in 1884. It is the residence of the traditional ruler of Onitsha, the Obi of Onitsha
. There is also a teacher training college
for women and a famous leper colony. Despite being one of the biggest commercial cities of west Africa, Onitsha remains congested from the over-concentration of all her huge markets within the old city center and minimal expansion of the colonial roads infrastructure.
In February 2006, armed militants killed at least 24 ethnic Hausa Fulani (Muslims) and burned a few Muslim sites including two mosques. The riots were in response to riots by Muslims in the city of Maiduguri
days earlier, where at least 18 Christians were killed, sparked by the cartoon controversy
in Denmark.
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, educational, and religious center and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
in Anambra State
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...
, southeastern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
In the early 1960s, before the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
(see also Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
), the population was officially recorded as 76,000, and the town was distinctive in a number of dimensions; the great Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe
Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe popularly known as Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic...
(born and raised in the contiguous town of Ogidi
Ogidi
Ogidi is an Igbo town, the headquarters of Idemili North Local Government area, Anambra State, Nigeria. It has an estimated population of 70,000 and has as its neighbours Abatete, Nkpor, Umunachi, Umuoji, Oze, Ogbunike and Umudioka. Ogidi is best known for its mid-July annual Nwafor Festival, and...
) characterized it as harboring an "esoteric region from which creativity sallies forth at will to manifest itself," "a zone of occult instability" (see "Onitsha Matters" http://www.amightytree.org). Though it experienced great suffering during and after the civil war, by virtue of its still-strategic geographic position Onitsha has continued to develop, and by 2001 had an estimated population of 511,000 with a metropolitan
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
population of 1,003,000. It is currently one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
The indigenous people of Onitsha are Igbo and speak the gbo language. It is here worth noting that Onitsha should not be confused with the local municipality of Onicha
Onicha
Onicha is a Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It has an area of 476 km² and has a population of 236,828 according to the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 491...
lying further east in Nigeria. Onicha-Uboma, Onicha-Uburu, Onicha-Nwenkwo are just some of smaller Onicha scattered across southern Nigeria.
History
Most theories on the word 'Onicha' point to the meanings "despiser" or "arrogant"; apparently the people of Onitsha were prone to "look down" upon the people of the towns adjacent to them. 'Onicha' may be a contraction of either 'Ọnịsịlị-ncha', meaning 'too headstrong [to be disciplined]'; Ọnyịsịlị-ncha, 'too headstrong [for everyone]'; or 'Ani-Ocha', 'the fair or white land'. Some claim that 'Onicha' is a contraction of Igbo and EdoEdo language
Edo is a Volta–Niger language spoken primarily in Edo State, Nigeria. It was and remains the primary language of the Edo people of Igodomigodo. The Igodomigodo kingdom was renamed Edo by Oba Eweka, after which the Edos refer to themselves as Oviedo 'child of Edo'...
words, and perhaps from the word 'Orisha
Orisha
An Orisha is a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of Olodumare in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system....
'. However, the existence of quite a number of communities bearing 'Onicha' in the eastern Igbo hinterland, whose history do not relate to Edo, did severely jeopardise this hypothesis. Onicha-Uboma, Onicha-Uburu, Onicha-Nwenkwo are just some of these lesser known Onicha scattered in Igboland.
Onitsha was known as Ado N'Idu by citizens who departed from the vicinity of the Kingdom of Benin near the far western portion of Igboland (near what is now Agbor
Agbor
Agbor, also known as Agbor Boji Boji, is a town in Delta state, Nigeria. The indigenes of Agbor town are of Ika descent, an Igbo group with heavy Bini influence. Agbor was originally named Agbon a Bini word for "land", until the British anglicized it to Agbor. The people of Agbor have traditionally...
), after a violent dispute with the Oba of Benin
Oba of Benin
The Oba of Benin, or Omo N'Oba, is both the oba of the Edo people and the pretender to the defunct title of the king of the Benin Kingdom...
that can be tentatively dated to the early 1500s. Traveling eastward through what is now Western Igboland (and various towns also called "Onitsha", for example Onicha-Ugbo
Onicha-Ugbo
Onicha-Ugbo is a town in Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. They are Igbo people. The town's traditional ruler is the Obi of Onicha-Ugbo; as of 2002, the obi is Agbogidi Chukwumeliaze. It lies on the Benin-Asaba Express way connecting the west to the East of Nigeria...
, "farmland-Onitsha"), the Onitsha, led by one Chima eventually crossed the Niger River and settled on the east bank in their current location
After their arrival on the east bank (Onicha-mmili,"Onitsha-on-water", see above), the community gradually became a unitary kingdom, evolving from a loosely organized group of "royal" and "non-royal" villages into a more centralized entity. Eze Aroli, was apparently the first genuinely powerful Obi of Onitsha
Obi of Onitsha
The Obi of Onitsha is the traditional leader of Onitsha, Anambra State, southeast Nigeria. The post of the Obi is recognised by the state and federal governments of Nigeria, and the Obi himself is seen as a representative of the people of Onitsha to the state and federal levels of government...
, the ruler of the city.
In 1857 British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
traders established a permanent station in the city, Christian missionaries joining them headed by the liberated African bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther was a linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Born in Osogun , Rev. Dr...
(a Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
recaptive) and Reverend John Taylor (an Igbo Recaptive). In 1900 Onitsha became part of a British protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
.{ The British colonial government and Christian missionaries penetrated most of Igboland
Igboland
Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...
to set up their administration, schools and churches through the river port at Onitsha.
Modern history
Onitsha became an important trading port for the Royal Niger CompanyRoyal Niger Company
The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It formed the basis of the modern state of Nigeria....
in the mid 1850s following the abolition of slavery and with the development of the steam engine when Europeans were able to move into the hinterland. Trade in palm kernels and palm oil which was going on on the coast of Bight of Biafra
Bight of Bonny
The Bight of Bonny is a bight off the West African coast, in the easternmost part of the Gulf of Guinea...
since 12th century was now moved upwards and other cash crops also boomed around this river port in the 19th century. Immigrants from the hinterland of Igboland
Igboland
Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...
were drawn to the emerging boom town as did the British traders who settled there in Onitsha, and coordinated the palm oil and cash crops trade. In 1965, the Niger River Bridge
River Niger Bridge (Onitsha)
The River Niger Bridge in Onitsha , Anambra State, Nigeria connects southeastern Nigeria with western Nigeria over the River Niger. It is linked to Asaba in Delta State, Nigeria.-History:...
was built across the Niger River to replace the ferry crossing.
Demography
Today, Onitsha is a modern day urbanUrban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
society, the people speak Igbo
Igbo language
Igbo , or Igbo proper, is a native language of the Igbo people, an ethnic group primarily located in southeastern Nigeria. There are approximately 20 million speakers that are mostly in Nigeria and are primarily of Igbo descent. Igbo is a national language of Nigeria. It is written in the Latin...
and English languages. There is a catholic cathedral, Anglican cathedral and it is the headquarters of so may church organizations and sociocultural groups. A federal government college is situated in the town. There is an army barrack, a school of metallurgy, and it is the home of the biggest market in the whole of Africa, the Onitsha Main Market.
Population
The population of Onitsha is not reflected in the Nigerian census figures and the trader migrate to their bases, neighbouring villages and states during census events reducing the official figures. Onitsha also serves as base for some major industries.Economy
The state of Lagos and various northern towns are partially fed by supplies from Onitsha. Trade soared between the east and west of Nigeria because of Onitsha market. This made Onitsha the strategic gateway for trade between the former eastern and western regions. The Nigerian-Biafran war brought widespread devastation to the city; at its end came the subsequent oil boom years bringing a huge influx of immigrants into the city. The war-damaged facilities, still under repair, could not cope with the pace of the rural-urban exodus into the city. Slums consequently began to emerge from the hasty haphazard building construction to accommodate the huge influx.Geography
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
, and occupies the northernmost point of the river regularly navigable by large vessels. These factors have historically made Onitsha a major center for trade between the coastal regions and the north, as well as between eastern and western Nigeria. Onitsha possesses one of the very few road bridge crossings of the mile-wide Niger River and plans are in place to add a second bridge near it. Today, Onitsha is a textbook example of the perils of urbanization without planning or public services.
Religion and politics
The Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy TrinityCathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha
The Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica dedicated to the trinity located in Onitsha, Nigeria. The basilica is seat of the Archdiocese of Onitsha...
is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha. The Anglican
Church of Nigeria
The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as "over 18 million", out of a total Nigerian population of 140 million.Since 2002...
church also has a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in the city. The Anglican was the first missionary in Onitsha in 1857. Later came the Catholics in 1884. It is the residence of the traditional ruler of Onitsha, the Obi of Onitsha
Obi of Onitsha
The Obi of Onitsha is the traditional leader of Onitsha, Anambra State, southeast Nigeria. The post of the Obi is recognised by the state and federal governments of Nigeria, and the Obi himself is seen as a representative of the people of Onitsha to the state and federal levels of government...
. There is also a teacher training college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
for women and a famous leper colony. Despite being one of the biggest commercial cities of west Africa, Onitsha remains congested from the over-concentration of all her huge markets within the old city center and minimal expansion of the colonial roads infrastructure.
In February 2006, armed militants killed at least 24 ethnic Hausa Fulani (Muslims) and burned a few Muslim sites including two mosques. The riots were in response to riots by Muslims in the city of Maiduguri
Maiduguri
Maiduguri, also fondly called Yerwa by its locals, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad...
days earlier, where at least 18 Christians were killed, sparked by the cartoon controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
in Denmark.
See also
- Onitsha Market LiteratureOnitsha Market LiteratureOnitsha Market Literature refers to a number of pamphlets, books and other publications sold at the Onitsha Market in Nigeria in the 1950s and 1960s. Much of it was written in pidgin and creole varieties of English...
- literature sold at the main market in the 1950s and 60s. - http://www.amightytree.org - "Onitsha Matters", a website presenting many facets of Onitsha history in its geographic and cultural context, including many topics and numerous photographic images.
- The King in Every Man: Evolutionary Trends in Onitsha Ibo Society and Culture")] an (1972) Anthropological study of precolonial Onitsha in its regional contexts [(Richard Henderson) Yale University Press] (Reprinted in 1996 as ISBN no. 0-97404-400-8)
- OnitshaOnitsha (novel)Onitsha is a novel by French author and Nobel laureate J. M. G. Le Clézio. It was originally published in French in 1991 and an English translation was released in 1997.-Plot summary:...
is the title of a novel by French author J. M. G. Le Clézio - Ryszard KapuscinskiRyszard KapuscinskiRyszard Kapuściński was a Polish journalist and writer whose dispatches in book form brought him a global reputation. Also a photographer and poet, he was born in Pińsknow in Belarusin the Kresy Wschodnie or eastern borderlands of the second Polish Republic, into poverty: he would say later that...
writes of "The Hole of Onitsha" in his book The Shadow of the Sun.