Onitsha Market: Changing face of Commercial hub of the East

BY POLYCARP IFEANYI / ONITSHA

Historians contend that Onitsha Market may have commenced in the sixteenth century (1506) when Onitsha people settled near the bank of River Niger.

A place presently known as Ose okwuodu Market used to be the palace shrine and a place where Onitsha indigenes usually gather for ancestral worship under the traditional leadership of the then Obi Oranze.

It is few distances away from the Otu-Nkwo Eze, now called Main Market. It opened only once in four days (Nkwo days), but as time went on, it later grew to operate on daily basis and was only trade by barter and mainly traded on food items. It later also traded on cowries which served as medium for exchange but never displaced trade by barter entirely.

However, Main Market Onitsha is now regarded as one of the largest markets in West Africa based on geographical size and volumes of various goods. It is situated in Onitsha North Local Government Area of present Anambra State.

Meanwhile, Onitsha Market refers to all markets located in almost all corners of Onitsha metropolis which included; Ogbaru, Obosi, Ogidi, Ogbunike and Nkwelle-Ezunaka. There are over 40 markets of various sizes spread in this metropolis which majority of them are classified for a particular distinct goods.

Onitsha Main Market is the root of all markets in Onitsha. It is known mainly for different verities of clothing and other wears with mix of household items. Electronic market Onitsha is located some few kilometers away from the Main Market. Electronic market has major dealers on electronic devices while food items and drinks are found majority in Ose okwuodu and Ochanja Market. Ochanja is also notable for shoes and other foot wears.

Also in Onitsha, Ogbaru main market popularly known as Relief Market is a big Market which deals on canned food, provision of any type, different varieties of canned drinks. There is still Electrical Market which situated at Obosi Community, vehicle spare parts both fairly used and new parts were found at Nkpor and Ugwuagba Obosi.

Similarly, Bridge-Head market is located just by the Niger Bridge, Onitsha. It accommodates about five major sub-divisions like; Ogbo-osisi ( Timber Market), Ogbo-ogwu ( Pharmaceutical Market), Tools and Allied Market. Food stuff and Odu-igbo Market. Head-bridge Market is also home for many SMEs included fabricators, artisans, furniture, welders, etc.

Other distinct markets included; Ogboefere (cooking utensils), plastic Market, Stationeries and Computer Accessories, Aluminum and Glass, New tires and Earth moving Equipments.

Arguably, Onitsha Market is the largest Market in West Africa and could be as well as the largest in Africa.

The population of traders and support- traders in Onitsha-Market that made Onitsha the second most densely populated city in Nigeria after Lagos, numbers above two million.

There are additional over half a million jobs provided indirectly by Onitsha Market in the area of SMEs, artisans and direct labour haulage by hand/ head or by wheel barrow/, cart, loading and offloading.

Transport businesses and host of other support businesses are in their boom, thanks to Onitsha- Market. Undoubtedly, trade and commerce in Onitsha -Market dominates all other occupation in Anambra State put together. Currently Internally Generated Revenue of Government has boasted up to 80% by Onitsha-Market.

People from all parts of Nigeria, Africa, Asia, Europe and America have one commercial interest or another in Onitsha. Virtually all Commercial Banks have its branch in Onitsha. Several traders in Onitsha-Market are classified as importers and exporters due their direct contact with world’s renowned manufacturers in Britian, German, India, China, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria amongst other.

More-so, many traders from Cameron, Benin Republic, Ghana and South Africa get feed from Onitsha Market. It also feeds many markets in Nigeria especially Southeast, South-South and Northern parts of the country. Onitsha Market again has many thriving industries, Manufacturing shoes, clothing, drinks, plastics, packaged water, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, polythene, cosmetics, aluminum products amongst other.

Over five million visitors are received in Onitsha Market with Over twelve million different transactions on daily basis. Annual volume of trade in Onitsha Market is approximately of $3billion with about 60% of this figure in constant circulation through the unbanked transactions. This translate Onitsha into the city with one of the highest GDP in Nigeria except Lagos which assumed that there is no extreme poverty in Onitsha.

At a time, there was what called Onitsha Literature, a 20th-century genre of sentimental, moralistic novellas and pamphlets produced by a semiliterate school of writers (students, fledgling journalists, and taxi drivers) and sold at the bustling Onitsha market.

Among the most prolific of the writers were Felix N. Stephen, Speedy Eric, Thomas O. Iguh, and O. Olisah, the latter two having also written chapbook plays about prominent literary figures.

The leadership succession of the Association is through option A4 election or by Care-taker appointment by state government which the present leadership is currently under going.

Speaking to this reporter, the President General of Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) Chief Humphrey Anuna, he was said that the general sanitation across all the markets in the state should be held on second Thursdays of every month while usual Market prayers should as well hold on every Monday.

On security issue, he assured all the Onitsha Markets customers their safety, disclosing that appropriate measure had been taken by the state government to secure people’s lives and property. He also said that State Vigilantes were engaged in every market including Market taskforce now called “Make Way Team.”

“These are our security arrangements in our markets. So, Market security net work is more than formidable. There is nothing one should fear in coming to Onitsha for businesses and investing in the state” he said.

Happily, the present leadership of the Onitsha Main Market, led by Chief Innocent Ezeoha has begun decongestion of roads, evicting street traders, illegal structures and touts.

Apparently, the latest development by the traders was in response to the directive by the state governor, Charles Soludo, that all Market Leaders in the state should decongest their markets.

It would be recalled that Governor Soludo on his resumption of duty, made it clear that he would reposition the State including Markets. He accused Market Leaders of being responsible of blocking available spaces in the markets by erecting illegal structures and on top of gutters.

Speaking to newsmen in his office, the Chairman of Onitsha Main Market, Chief Ezeoha said that illegal structures littered everywhere in the market which he said attracted street trading, touting activities, illegal tolls, snatching of phones and bags and other crimes.

Ezennia of Umuchu stated that they started decongesting roads from Bright Street spanning to other lines inside the market.

He said that they would continue the exercise until they actualize sanity and restore back old glory of Onitsha Main Market, saying that they have sacked all street traders, touts as well as banned illegal levies on wheel barrow pushers and hawkers.

“Main Market is a well organized Market. We have passed through a lot of things. And so, we have means of tackling them. Like issue of touting, if anybody engages in touting activities, the person will be tracked down immediately because we know his line or zone. Everyone comes from a line or zone and we know how everyone operates. So, if crime is committed, we know where it emanated.

“But our problem is the markets around Main Market. For instance, Kano street, Sokoto Road, Bida Roads, New Market Road, Emeka Offor Plazas. These are Markets and plazas that do not belong to Main Market but, if there is any crime incident, people always believe that Main Market people committed it which we don’t want again.

“So, all these markets continued to bring bad name to Main Market and I have determined to solve it . We had security meeting recently which we summoned all the Plazas and mandated them to submit the names of various plazas’s Chairmen to us so that, should there be incident of crime again, such plazas will provide the culprit otherwise, we hold him responsible”

Chief Ezeoha however noted that Onitsha Main Market has structural standard right from his predecessors and he has committed to maintain the standard and improve more.

He disclosed that his achievements within few period of his administration are enormous, saying that he would not blow his trumpet but the prominent ones included provision of assorted seats for general meetings and adjusted closing time of market from 5pm to 6pm so that traders would no longer rush while closing for the day’s business.

“It is only people that would testify all my achievements after my tenure because if I begin to recount them, pride might set in , to me, I know best thing to offer as a leader. But I always pray to God to grant me wisdom and knowledge to continue to lead the Market to the glory of God”, he concluded.

Additional reports from http://wikipedia.org.com/

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.