DESCRIPTION OF ONITSHA

Geography of Onitsha

Onitsha is a local government area that lies at a major east–west crossing point of the Niger River and the area occupies the northernmost point of the river mostly navigable by large vessels. These listed factors have historically made Onitsha local government an important center for trade between the coastal regions and the north, also between eastern and western Nigeria. Onitsha local government possesses one of the very few road bridges that cross the mile-wide Niger River.

History of Onitsha

Onitsha which is also known as (Igbo: Ọ̀nị̀chà Mmílí or just Ọ̀nị̀chà) is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, situated in Anambra State, Nigeria. Onitsha is known for its river port and the area has an economic hub for industry, commerce, and education. The local government area hosts the Onitsha Main Market, which is the largest market in Africa in terms of geographical size and volume of goods.

Onitsha's local government slowly grew to become a vital trading port for the Royal Niger Company in the mid-1850s following the eradication of slavery and the development of the steam engine when the Europeans were able to move into the hinterland.

In the year 1857 British palm oil traders established a permanent station in the city of Onitsha with African bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther (a Yoruba recaptive) and Reverend John Taylor (an Igbo Recaptive) heading the Christian missionaries that join them.

In the year 1965, the Niger River Bridge was built across the Niger River to help in place of the ferry crossing. This also helped to grow trade routes.

Economy of Onitsha

In the year 2012 the state government, through a joint scheme, attracted the SAB Miller to invest in Onitsha Brewery; they started the production in August. This was the first large-scale investment in the city of Onitsha since Premier Breweries, the makers of the Premier Beer started production in Onitsha in the early part of the 1980s.

Onitsha, a metropolitan city is known for its river port and also known as an economic hub for industry, commerce, and education. It is the host of the Onitsha Main Market.

Description of Anambra 

The state of Anambra can be found in the southeast of Nigeria. On August 27, 1991, the state was officially founded. The states of Delta, Imo, Enugu, and Kogi lie to the west, south, east, and north of Anambra, respectively. 

There are more than 4.1 million people living in the state, according of the 2006 census. Omambala River, a major waterway in the state, inspired the state's naming in 1976, when it gained independence from East Central State. The name Anambra is derived from the Yoruba word Omambala. Awka, the state capital, is a fast expanding city with a projected population of 3 million by the year 2020, up from an estimated 300,000 in 2006. Onitsha, a pre-colonial port city, is still an important economic hub in the state. 

Anambra State, also known as the "Light of the Nation," has the eighth-highest population in the United States, though this is hotly contested because Onitsha, the state's largest and most populous urban area, was found to have more than 5 million residents in 2019 by Africapolis, making it the second-largest urban area in Nigeria and the third-largest in Africa. Despite being the second smallest state in size, Anambra is home to a large population. Since at least the 9th century AD, the territory now known as Anambra State has been home to many different cultures. One of these was the ancient Kingdom of Nri, whose capital was the historic town of Igbo-Ukwu. Most people living in Anambra State are of the Igbo ethnic group, and the Igbo language is widely spoken there. 

Anambra State was a territory of the Republic of Biafra, a breakaway nation created by Igbo nationalists during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). Anambra State suffered a devastating famine throughout the war, killing off a large percentage of the population. Anambra State has made great efforts in recent years toward eliminating poverty, and it is now a highly urbanized state. 

Geographical description of Anambra 

As of 2015, more than 60% of Anambra State's population resided in urban areas, with that number expected to rise by 2.21 percent year. It's a highly urbanized region, ranking among the top 5 in Nigeria. 

Onitsha, which includes Okpoko town; Ogbaru; Nnewi; and Awka, the state capital, are the major urban centres of Anambra state. Urban centers like Awka and Onitsha emerged prior to colonial rule; Awka became the major industrial center of the Nri empire. Onitsha is a city-state on the Niger River that grew in importance as a river port and commercial hub. 

Onitsha is a thriving commercial center, and its sprawling metropolitan area now includes the local government areas (LGAs) of Idemili, Oyi, and Anambra East, and is home to one of the largest markets in all of West Africa. 

It was in 2012 that the tri-city area began being referred to as the Onitsha-Nnewi-Awka (ONA) Industrial Axis in light of the increasing number of factories in the region. The city of Nnewi, Nigeria, is a thriving commercial and industrial hub that has been compared to Taiwan. Awka's administrative prominence from before colonialism has returned now that it has been named the state capital. 

Location 

The states of Delta, Imo, Rivers, Enugu, and Kogi form the western, southern, eastern, and northern boundaries, respectively. The Anambra River (Omambala), a tributary of the Niger, serves as the inspiration for the name of this region. 

The Igbo are the state's original inhabitants, and they make up 99.9% of the population. A small percentage of the population is bilingual, and they are concentrated in the northwestern part of the state. 

Located in southeastern Nigeria, Anambra is the second-most populous state in terms of population density, behind only Lagos State. Numerous densely populated villages and small towns dot the more than 45 km between Oba and Amorka, resulting in a population density of between 1,500 and 2,000 people per square kilometer. 

The state of Anambra is rich in agricultural opportunities, including fishing, farming, and pasture land. 

Petroleum and Natural Gas 

In 2006, the first commercial refinery in Nigeria, Orient Petroleum Refinery (OPR), held a foundation-laying ceremony in the Aguleri area. 

Owner Orient Petroleum Resource Ltd (OPRL) received permission from the Federal Government in June 2002 to build a private refinery with a capacity of 55,000 barrels per day (7,500 t/d). 

In 2012, Governor Peter Obi and other Orient Petroleum players succeeded in turning Anambra State become an oil-producing state. The oil was discovered in the Anambra River basin by a local firm. 

Orient Petroleum Resources Plc's management announced on 2 August 2015 that the business aimed to expand crude oil production to 3,000 barrels per day by September 2015, in part by increasing output at two newly drilled oil wells in the Aguleri oil fields. Nails and Stanley Ltd, a local firm, planned to set up shop in Umueje, AyamelumLocal Government Area, and build a gas plant to fuel the region's booming oil and gas sector. 

Economy of Anambra

In Anambra, agriculture is a major economic driver. Plants like oil palms, corn, rice, yams, and cassava are cultivated. Additionally crucial is going fishing. 

Located in Nnewi, the state of Anambra is home to the first Nigerian vehicle manufacturer, Innoson. 

Onitsha attracts businesspeople from all over West Africa, increasing the country's GDP thanks to the increased sales tax collection. 

There is a lot of original thinking and ground-breaking work being done in Anambra. The state of Anambra has seen a boost to its GDP as a result of its many new inventions and the high value placed on education. One of these was in 2018 when brothers Atikpo and Ubaka Chukwuebuka invented a machine to remove the bitterness of bitter leaf (a highly nutritious vegetable).  Using this tool, the state's vegetable farmers will be able to harvest many more vegetables per year. 

A potential of one thousand trillion cubic feet of gas reserves lies untapped in the Anambra Basin, one of Nigeria's most promising oil and gas fields. Orient Petroleum and Sterling Oil Exploration and Production Co. LTD (SEEPCO) are just two of the indigenous companies that are helping to make Anambra state one of the top crude oil producers in the world thanks to its over 13 oil wells.