Brief History of onitcha

Onitcha is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Nigeria's Anambra State.

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Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. It hosts the Onitsha Main Market, the largest market in Africa in terms of geographical size and volume of goods.

The Onitsha market, also known as Onitsha Main Market, is one of the largest market in Africa based on its geographical size and volume of goods, and one of the busiest in Nigeria. It is based in the city of Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State.
The Onitsha market is populated by traders and merchants from not only Nigeria, but all over the world.

Onitsha slowly grew to become an important trading port for the Royal Niger Company 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, palm oil, and other cash crops on the coast of the Bight of Biafra increased around this river port in the 19th century.

In 1857 British palm oil traders established a permanent station in the city with 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.