Onitsha Ọnịcha Mmili
—  City  —
Top: Onitsha landscape. Middle: River Niger Bridge heading from Onitsha. Bottom left: The Onitsha Niger River Port. Bottom right: Welcome signboard while entering Onitsha, Anambra State.
Onitsha Onitsha in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°10′N 6°47′E / 6.167°N 6.783°E / 6.167; 6.783
Country	Nigeria
State	Anambra State
LGA	Onitsha North, Onitsha South
Founded	1550
Government
• Obi	Igwe Nnayelugo Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe
Area[1]
• City	13.97 sq mi (36.19 km2)
• Land	13.95 sq mi (36.12 km2)
• Water	0.026 sq mi (0.067 km2)
• Urban	9.83 sq mi (25.45 km2)
• Metro	13.97 sq mi (36.19 km2)
Population (2002)[1][2]
• City	2,511,000
• Density	113,900/sq mi (43,978/km2)
• Metro	1,003,000
• Ethnicity	Igbo 90%>, Others
• Demonym	Onye Onicha (Igbo)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
Postcode	430...[3]
Area code(s)	046

Onitsha (Igbo: Ọnịcha Mmili^[4] or just Ọnịcha)^[5] is a city, a commercial, educational, and religious centre and river port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria.

In the early 1960s, before the Nigerian Civil War (see also Biafra), the population was officially recorded as 76,000, and the town was distinctive in a number of dimensions; the great Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe (born and raised in the contiguous town of Ogidi) characterized it as harboring an "esoteric region from which creativity sallies forth at will to manifest itself," "a zone of occult instability" (see "Onitsha Matters" [1]). Though it experienced great suffering during and after the civil war, by virtue of its still-strategic geographic position Onitsha has continued to develop, and by 2001 had an estimated population of 511,000 with a metropolitan population of 1,003,000.^[2] It is currently one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

The indigenous people of Onitsha are Igbo and speak the Igbo language. It is here worth noting that Onitsha should not be confused with the other municipalities of the same name Onicha lying further east in Nigeria: Onicha-Uboma, Onicha-Uburu, Onicha-Agu, Onicha-Nwenkwo, Onicha-EnuguEzike, Onicha Ngwa, Onicha Nkwerre etc.. On the west bank of the River Niger exists also Onicha Ugbo, Onicha Olona and Onicha Ukwuani. All of which speak Igbo as their native language.

History[link]

Most theories on the word 'Onicha' point to the meanings "despiser" or "arrogant"; apparently the people of Onitsha were prone to "look down" upon the people of the towns adjacent to them.^[6] 'Onicha' may be a contraction of either 'Ọnịsịlị-ncha', meaning 'too headstrong [to be disciplined]'; Ọnyịsịlị-ncha, 'too headstrong [for everyone]'; or 'Ani-Ocha', 'the fair or white land'. Some claim that 'Onicha' is a contraction of Igbo and Edo words, and perhaps from the word 'Orisha'. However, the existence of quite a number of communities bearing 'Onicha' in the eastern Igbo hinterland, whose history do not relate to Edo, did severely jeopardise this hypothesis.^[7]

Onitsha was known as Ado N'Idu by citizens who departed from the vicinity of the Kingdom of Benin near the far western portion of Igboland (near what is now Agbor), after a violent dispute with the Oba of Benin that can be tentatively dated to the early 1500s.^[8] Traveling eastward through what is now Western Igboland (and various towns also called "Onitsha", for example Onicha-Ugbo, "farmland-Onitsha"), the Onitsha, led by one Chima eventually crossed the Niger River (Igbo: Orimili) and settled on the east bank in their current location^[9]

After their arrival on the east bank (Onicha-mmili,"Onitsha-on-water", see above), the community gradually became a unitary kingdom, evolving from a loosely organized group of "royal" and "non-royal" villages into a more centralized entity.^[10] Eze Aroli, was apparently the first genuinely powerful Obi of Onitsha, the ruler of the city.^[11]

In 1857 British palm oil traders established a permanent station in the city, Christian missionaries joining them headed by the liberated African bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther (a Yoruba recaptive) and Reverend John Taylor (an Igbo Recaptive).^[12] In 1900 Onitsha became part of a British protectorate.^[13]{ 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.

Modern history[link]

Onitsha became 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 and palm oil which was going on on the coast of Bight of Biafra since 12th century was now moved upwards and other cash crops also boomed around this river port in the 19th century. Immigrants from the hinterland of Igboland were drawn to the emerging boom town as did the British traders who settled there in Onitsha, and coordinated the palm oil and cash crops trade. In 1965, the Niger River Bridge was built across the Niger River to replace the ferry crossing.

Demography[link]

An Onitsha street scene.

Today, Onitsha is a modern day urban society, the people speak Igbo and English languages. There is a catholic cathedral, Anglican cathedral and it is the headquarters of so may church organizations and sociocultural groups. A federal government college is situated in the town. There is an army barrack, a school of metallurgy, and it is the home of the biggest market in the whole of Africa, the Onitsha Main Market.

Population[link]

The population of Onitsha is not reflected in the Nigerian census figures and the trader migrate to their bases, neighbouring villages and states during census events reducing the official figures. Onitsha also serves as base for some major industries.

Economy[link]

The state of Lagos and various northern towns are partially fed by supplies from Onitsha. Trade soared between the east and west of Nigeria because of Onitsha market. This made Onitsha the strategic gateway for trade between the former eastern and western regions. The Nigerian-Biafran war brought widespread devastation to the city; at its end came the subsequent oil boom years bringing a huge influx of immigrants into the city. The war-damaged facilities, still under repair, could not cope with the pace of the rural-urban exodus into the city. Slums consequently began to emerge from the hasty haphazard building construction to accommodate the huge influx.

Geography[link]

The River Niger Bridge into Onitsha.

Onitsha lies at a major east-west crossing point of the Niger River, and occupies the northernmost point of the river regularly navigable by large vessels. These factors have historically made Onitsha a major center for trade between the coastal regions and the north, as well as between eastern and western Nigeria. Onitsha possesses one of the very few road bridge crossings of the mile-wide Niger River^[14][15] and plans are in place to add a second bridge near it. Today, Onitsha is a textbook example of the perils of urbanization without planning or public services.

Religion and politics[link]

The Cathedral Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha. The Anglican church also has a cathedral in the city. The Anglican was the first missionary in Onitsha in 1857. Later came the Catholics in 1884. It is the residence of the traditional ruler of Onitsha, the Obi of Onitsha. There is also a teacher training college for women and a famous leper colony. Despite being one of the biggest commercial cities of west Africa, Onitsha remains congested from the over-concentration of all her huge markets within the old city center and minimal expansion of the colonial roads infrastructure.

In February 2006, armed Christian militants killed at least 24 ethnic Hausa Fulani (Muslims) and burned a few Muslim sites including two mosques.^[16][17][18] The riots were in response to riots by Muslims in the city of Maiduguri days earlier, where at least 18 Christians were killed, sparked by the cartoon controversy in Denmark.

See also[link]

• Onitsha Market Literature - literature sold at the main market in the 1950s and 60s.
• [2] - "Onitsha Matters", a website presenting many facets of Onitsha history in its geographic and cultural context, including many topics and numerous photographic images.
• The King in Every Man: Evolutionary Trends in Onitsha Ibo Society and Culture")] an (1972) Anthropological study of precolonial Onitsha in its regional contexts [(Richard Henderson) Yale University Press] (Reprinted in 1996 as ISBN no. 0-97404-400-8)
• Onitsha is the title of a novel by French author J. M. G. Le Clézio
• Ryszard Kapuscinski writes of "The Hole of Onitsha" in his book The Shadow of the Sun.

References[link]

v t e Niger River Countries Guinea Mali Niger Benin Nigeria Sections Source of the Niger Middle Niger Inner Niger Delta Lower Niger Niger Delta Tributaries (list) and distributaries Tinkisso River Sankarani River Milo River Bani River Mekrou River Alibori River Sola River Sokoto River Sota River Kaduna River Benue River Anambra River Forcados River Nun River Cities Siguiri Bamako Segou Mopti Timbuktu Gao Niamey Lokoja Onitsha Lakes Kainji Lake Lac Debo Dams and bridges King Fahd Bridge Martyrs Bridge Markala Dam Gao Bridge Kennedy Bridge Kainji Dam River Niger Bridge (Onitsha) Protected Areas Niger Basin Authority National Park of Upper Niger W National Park Kainji National Park

Coordinates: 6°10′N 6°47′E / 6.167°N 6.783°E / 6.167; 6.783

Deborah Cox
Cox in June 2011
Background information
Born	(1974-07-13) July 13, 1974 (age 37)
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	R&B, pop, soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Arista (1995–2000) J (2000–2003) Decca (2007) Deco Recording Group (2008–present)
Website	DeborahCox.com

Deborah Cox (born July 13, 1974) is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart (14 weeks), a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved eleven number-one hits on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. She is often cited as Canada's top R&B artist.^[1]

Early life[link]

Deborah Cox was born in Toronto to parents of Afro-Guyanese descent, grew up in Scarborough, Toronto and attended John XXIII Catholic Elementary School and Earl Haig Secondary School.^[1] She began singing for TV commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows with the help of her mother. She performed in nightclubs as a teenager, and began to write music around the same time.^[2] Cox entered the music industry in the early 1990s, performing as a backup vocalist for Celine Dion for six months.^[1][3] After receiving many rejection letters from Canadian record labels that claimed their "quota" had been reached, Cox moved to Los Angeles in 1994 with producer and songwriting partner, Lascelles Stephens.^[1][3]

Career[link]

[edit] 1995–1997: Deborah Cox

In 1995, label executive Clive Davis signed Cox to Arista Records, and she released her self-titled debut album the same year. After middling success, Cox released a non-album single for the soundtrack to the 1997 movie Money Talks, titled "Things Just Ain't The Same". A dance mix of the song topped the U.S. dance charts and was included on her second album, 1998's One Wish.

[edit] 1998–2001: One Wish

The first single from that album, "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", spent fourteen weeks at #1 on the Hot R&B charts in the USA, as well as eight consecutive weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went platinum, becoming Cox's biggest-selling album to date. Cox then recorded a new song, "Absolutely Not", for the soundtrack to Dr. Dolittle 2. Remixes of the song repeated the success of One Wish's singles on the dance charts, and the Chanel mix of "Absolutely Not" was included on her third album. After One Wish, Cox appeared on the single "Same Script, Different Cast" by Whitney Houston from Whitney: The Greatest Hits.

[edit] 2002–2005: The Morning After and acting career

Cox's third album The Morning After was released in November 2002 on J Records.

On February 17, 2004, she made her Broadway debut in the Elton John-Tim Rice musical Aida, returning to recording only to release a dance remix of "Easy As Life" as a single.

Cox also has been involved in a number of movies and soundtracks. In 2000, she played Niko Rosen in Love Come Down. In 2001, her hit song "Absolutely Not" was featured in Dr. Dolittle 2. In 2005, in the movie Blood of a Champion she played the role of Sharon, and again in 2005, her voice was featured in the movie Hotel Rwanda in the song "Nobody Cares".

To sustain demand for Cox's club appearances, while focused on her family and new album projects, she released a dance single titled House Is Not a Home on Nervous Records in January 2006. Later in the year, the song "Definition of Love" was used in the movie Akeelah and the Bee, but was not released as a single.

[edit] 2006–2007: Destination Moon

Between 2005 and 2006 Deborah recorded her fourth album, called Destination Moon. It is a tribute to jazz singer Dinah Washington and was released on June 19, 2007.

Cox performed the Canadian national anthem at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. She contributed the song "This Gift" to the soundtrack of the 2008 movie Meet the Browns and was part of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour 2008. Deborah has also starred in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" along side Golden Brooks and Darius McCrary.

[edit] 2008–2009: The Promise

In early 2008, Cox & Stephens created the Deco Recording Group, her very own independent label, which is distributed through Image Entertainment. Soon she started recording songs for a new album.

Her fifth R&B studio album, The Promise, was released on November 11, 2008. The first single "Did You Ever Love Me" was released to radio on August 26, 2008 and peaked at #69 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The song "Beautiful U R" has been released digitally to iTunes and Amazon.com on September 16, 2008. It has recently reached #3 on the Canadian Radio Chart becoming her most successful single in nearly ten years. It also peaked at #3 on the Canadian Hot AC Chart (January, 2009 Chart) and hit #1 on the US Dance chart becoming her tenth song to do it. Deborah has also appeared during her promotion for "The Promise" with interviews on Entertainment Tonight Canada, E-Talk, CHUM FM, Proud FM, various CBC radio shows, and over 70 interviews across the country. The video for "Beautiful U.R." is directed by Lil X, and has been serviced on November 15, 2008. The song was certified gold for digital downloads in January, 2009. "Saying Goodbye" was sent to Urban/AC radios in February, while "The Promise" is scheduled to be released as a single in July. Cox joined forces with Kenny Lattimore for the "Timeless Promise Tour" in July 2009.

The Promise debuted and peaked at #106 on the US Top 200 and on #14 on the US R&B Album Chart selling 6,419 copies in its first week. As of September 19, 2009 it has sold about 38,700 copies in the US.

In April 2009, she was featured on the single "Leave The World Behind". The house track was produced by four DJs — Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Laidback Luke. It peaked at #40 on the US Dance chart.

2010–present: The Queen Project & Untitled Dance Album[link]

In September 2009 it was announced she would be joining Kelly Price and Tamia to form the super group The Queen Project. In a February 2012 interview with Seattle Gay News, Cox confirmed that those plans were on hold, due to scheduling issues. "Each of us has moved on and we are all doing our own projects now." She also noted that she is currently working on a dance album. "My fans have been hounding me about another 'remixed' album."^[4]

In December 2011 Deborah achieved her 11th number 1 with "If It wasn't for Love"

Personal life[link]

Cox currently lives in Miami, Florida. She is married to her high school sweetheart and manager, Lascelles Stephens.^[5] They have three children: son, Isaiah (born July 1, 2003), and two daughters, Sumayah (born June 29, 2006), and Kaila Michelle (born February 23, 2009).^[6]

Discography[link]

• 1995: Deborah Cox
• 1998: One Wish
• 2002: The Morning After
• 2007: Destination Moon
• 2008: The Promise

Awards and nominations[link]

1996

• Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording (Deborah Cox).
• Nominated: American Music Award for Favorite New Artist – Soul/Rhythm & Blues.

1997

• Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist.

1998

• Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording ("Things Just Ain't the Same").
• Won: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Female ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here").

1999

• Won: Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording (One Wish).
• Nominated: Juno Award for Best Female Vocalist.
• Won: Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year ("Nobody's Supposed to Be Here").

2000

• Nominated: Genie Award for Best Original Song ("Our Love" and "29").
• Nominated: Soul Train Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo ("Same Script, Different Cast" feat. Whitney Houston).
• Nominated: Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist ("We Can't Be Friends")

2002

• Nominated: Juno Award for Best Dance Recording ("Absolutely Not").

2008

• Nominated: Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year (Destination Moon).
• Received a star on walk of fame, in Toronto's Scarborough Town Centre.

2009

• Nominated: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (The Promise).

See also[link]

	Book: Deborah Cox
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Deborah Cox

• Official website
• Deborah Cox at MySpace
• Deborah Cox at the Internet Movie Database
• Discography
• Deborah Cox at Southern Decadence