Onitsha is in Southeast Nigeria.
Understand
Onitsha can claim two distinctions. First, it is said to have the largest market in Africa in terms of volume of goods and geographical size. And, secondly, in a more sordid sense, it was ranked number one most polluted city in the world by WHO in 2016.
The city has had a somewhat tumultuous past. From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, it was developed as a center of trade and dissemination of Christian mission work by the British. Following Nigerian independence though, Onitsha fared front and center and lay decimated by collateral damage during the Nigerian-Biafran war of 1967-1971. Since then, oil ventures have brought in a stream of revenue but along with it swaths of people seeking a piece of that prize, resulting in overcrowding, lawlessness, and zoning unsightliness. Onitsha is also distinguished by being a center of Nollywood film distribution and the navigable endpoint for most shipping up the Niger River.
Get in
Though some 450 km away, it is fairly directly connected to Lagos by road. In fact, the Onitsha Bridge is one of the few bridges linking eastern and western Nigeria. There is also some limited regional transit by air available through 1 Asaba International Airport, ☏ 234 7039119444. nearby.
Get around
There are kekes everywhere.
See
Onitsha is a little short on sights.
- 1 Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity Cathedral, Awka Rd (off Mission Road north of market), ☏ 234 7066006646. on the bank of the Niger River where the first missionaries landed in the Onitsha area circa 1850 and where the first Nigerian priest to be beatified, Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi, is buried. Seat of archbishop for Anambra state.
- 2 Nelson Mandela Gardens, Asaba (just adjacent to the Asaba Airport), ☏ 234 7061842154. 10:00-19:00 M-Sa, 12:00-19:00 Su, closed M. just a little park commemorating Nelson Mandela with an ostrich.
- 3 Ogbunike Cave, Ifite Ogbunike, Ogbunike (in a remote area northeast of Onitsha), ☏ 234 8000000000. A listed UNESCO World Heritage Site and also a notable domicile for bats, but this cave could be a little iffy though because 'guides' tend to beg for money and it's very isolated.
- 4 Onitsha Bridge. Just a sight in passing really, but the centre-truss bridge is a prominent landmark of Onitsha. Completed in 1965, it allowed for vast improvement in commerce and transportation between the east and west of Nigeria. Although it was destroyed during the Nigerian Civil War, it was later repaired during the Jonathan Goodluck administration.
- 5 Igbo-Ukwu Museum, Igbo Ukwu, Nigeria (Very close to Union Hospital Along Nnobi-Ekwulobia Road), ☏ 234 7017895370. 08:00-16:00 M-F. Displays 9th century bronze artifacts of the Igbo-Ukwu people that demonstrate they were the first highly sophisticated bronze metal-working culture of West Africa and had trade networks with groups as far away as the Nile Valley.
Do
- 1 Onitsha Market, Edozie Lane, ☏ 234 7065562455. claimed to be the biggest market in Africa by geographic size, likely to be a little intense. One sector is focused on electronics.
- 2 Onitsha River Beach. Well, the river might smell like poo, but it's a beach anyway. Actually, this is quite a busy locale as there is a major sand harvesting operation going on here, with (naked?) guys jumping off of pirogues to scoop up sand from the riverbed, all of which is sold for profits. But, all in all, with this and the amount of waste entering the river, this might not be a very nice place to hang out.
Buy
Eat
- 1 The Rodinia Restaurant and Bar, Summit Junction by Rain Oil filling Station, Asaba, Nigeria, ☏ 234 7030625563. 08:00-22:00 daily. quick eatery for economically-priced African dishes close to airport.
- 2 Five Star Restaurant, Ridge Road (few blocks east of basilica), ☏ 234 7067678615. 07:30-21:30 daily. a neat looking place with African food.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Best Western Plus Elomaz Hotel, Plot 22 A/B-27 Core Area, DBS Rd, Gra 320241 (across Niger River in Asaba), ☏ 234 8038193264. Pool, spa, dining, free breakfast, wifi.