(By Azuka Onwuka) – How the Civil War aided Nnewi’s
Industrial Transformation
Before the 1966 pogrom
against the Igbo and indigenes of the former Eastern Nigeria, Nnewi in Anambra
State was under the shadow of Onitsha. The markets in Nnewi were like the
typical Igbo markets that were in session every four days, depending on which
name each market bore. The Nkwo Market, which was situated at the centre of the
town, was in full session every Nkwo day, even though some isolated traders
could sell some petty things, especially food items, on other days. Anybody who
wanted to buy anything of substance went to Onitsha, some 20 kilometres away.
On religious matters, the
Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church (the two big churches in Nnewi)
had their diocesan headquarters in Onitsha. So, the bishops resided in Onitsha
and were seen occasionally in Nnewi. To travel to any part of Nigeria from
Nnewi, one had to get to Onitsha first. If the trip was to the North or West,
one had to cross over by boat to Asaba (before the construction of the Niger
Bridge in 1965). But after the bridge was constructed, Onitsha became the
connecting city to other parts of Nigeria for most towns and villages in the
current Anambra State.
