Onitsha

Onitsha (Igbo: Ọ̀nị̀chà Mmílí or simply Ọ̀nị̀chà) is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. Anambra states largest city, Onitsha is known for its river port and is a regional hub for commerce, industry, and education. It is the central city of one of the largest metropolitan areas in Nigeria with a fast growing population. It hosts the Onitsha Main Market, the largest market in Africa in terms of geographical size and volume of goods. Onitsha along with various cities and towns in southern Anambra State, northern Imo State and neighboring Delta State on the western bank of the Niger River, form a continuous metropolitan area. As of 2016, the greater Onitsha area had an estimated population of around 8 million people in central and southern Anambra state extending into neighboring Delta state to the west and Imo state to the south. Spread across parts of these 3 states, the greater Onitsha area is regarded as one of the largest metropolitan areas in Nigeria by both population and landmass. The continuous urban sprawl or conurbation of greater Onitsha spreads across several separate cities and their satellite towns and suburbs including Asaba, Obosi, Ogbaru, Nnewi, the Anambra State capital Awka down to Orlu in Imo State. As of early 2024, Onitsha city proper has an estimated population of 1,695,000. The indigenous people of Onitsha are Igbo and speak the Igbo language with Onitsha being the largest urban area and commercial hub of the Igboland region of Nigeria, the Igbo people’s indigenous homeland. The Onitsha people are referred to as Ndi Onicha in Igbo. English and Nigerian Pidgin English are also widely spoken. Although the population is largely Igbo, there are many other ethnic groups in the Onitsha area mainly from other Nigerian ethnicities indigenous to the southeast of the country due to Onitshas position as an economic hub in the region. According to Africapolis, the greater Onitsha metropolis will be regarded as one of the most densely populated areas in the world by 2050. In 2023, McKinsey predicted that the greater Onitsha metropolis area will double in human development by 2045 with the current expansion rate.