Nnewi

Nnewi is the second largest city in Anambra state located in the Southeast geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The city of Nnewi consists of two local government areas which are the Nnewi North and Nnewi South Lgas. Popular districts/streets in Nnewi town include Ichi, Nnewichi, Uruagu, Otolo, Ukpor, Regent street, Umuzu-Mbana, Ndi Ojukwu, Eden Rise, Ozubulu road, Okpuno-Egbu, Eme Court Road, Nkpoka, and Umudim. The  population of Nnewi town is estimated at 744, 158 inhabitants with the Igbo as the major ethnic group in the city. Educational Institutions in Nnewi include Immaculata Girls Secondary School, Maria Regina Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Nneoma Secondary School, The Royal feet Wisdom School, and the Havilah Royal Schools. 

Christianity is the popular religious affiliation in Nnewi city followed by traditional religion. The city of Nnewi is also fondly referred to as Anaedo with the Igwe of Nnewi superintending over the traditional affairs of the city. Popular festivals in the city of Nnewi include the Ofala festival and the New yam festival also known as Afiaolu in the local dialect. Important landmarks in Nnewi city include the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Okpu Ana Natural Spring, Ancient War Tower, Palace of the Igwe of Nnewi, Ikedife City Center, Hotel De Robin, Innoson Motors, Ogchukwu Evergreen Restaurant, the Learning Point, and the Ifeanyi Ubah sports stadium which is home to Ifeanyi Ubah f.c; a privately owned professional football club that features in Nigeria’s elite football division. Hospitals in Nnewi include the Life specialist hospital, Chizaram hospital and Maternity, Obioma hospital, Eastern specialist Hospital, Grace and Truth hospital Rose of Sharon specialist hospital, Victory hospital, Mary specialist hospital, and the Myles specialist hospital.  

GEOGRAPHY

The city of Nnewi falls under the Tropical savannah climate and has an 80 percent humidity. Nnewi city shows features of the tropical rain forest region and the landscape is prone to gully erosion,

The total area of Nnewi city measures about 2,790 km squared and has two major seasons which are the dry and rainy seasons with average annual total rainfall estimated at 2900 mm.

ECONOMY

Nnewi is largely regarded as the “Japan of Africa” and is home to the first local car manufacturing plant in the whole of Nigeria. The city is littered with several manufacturing industries that produce a wide variety of items which include automobile and electric components, plastics and motorcycle and power generator spare parts.

Also, the Nkwo Nnewi Market, Motorcycle spare parts market, and the Orie Akpu market are very popular within the city and provides buyers with a range of commodities such as textile and stationery. Nnewi town also has a large agricultural output with crops such as oil palm, yam, cassava, and breadfruit grown in the city.

HISTORY

The bush rat known as Ewi in the local dialect is known historically to have helped the city’s founders during their several wars hence the abstinence of the city’s dwellers from the consumption of the animal . Nnewi has existed as an independent kingdom since around the year 1477 while it was officially created by the British colonial administrators in the year 1904.