Onitsha vs Ibadan: Debunking the Myth of Which City Is Older
Recent claims present Ibadan as one of Nigeria’s oldest cities. Yet a closer look at historical records tells a different story. Onitsha was founded around 1550 CE by Igbo migrants returning from the ancient Kingdom of Benin. Its riverside location on the Niger made it a key southeastern trading hub for centuries. Ibadan emerged later in 1829 CE as a military camp after the collapse of the old Oyo Empire. Within a few decades, it became one of the largest indigenous cities in sub-Saharan Africa. This comparison shows that Onitsha predates Ibadan by nearly three centuries.
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