Five powerful kingdoms that existed centuries before the formation of Nigeria in 1914

Ancient people of Onitsha

Kingdom of Onitsha

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This is the most powerful Igbo state to have existed in ancient Nigeria between the 16^th and 19^th century. The city was founded by Igbo settlers who relocated from the Great Benin Empire at the start of internal conflicts between tribes. By the 18^th century, other tribes had settled in the land expanding it and making it very industrious.

The people worshipped nature and other deities and had a powerful army that protected them. The Kingdom of Onitsha, through its Benin roots, was highly advanced and adapted easily to westernization through trade. Through its trade in oil, the Kingdom became very rich and powerful controlling much of the oil trade at the fall of the Benin Empire.

Many of its original settlers travelled and settled in other parts of the country and the language of the people of Onitsha now has different variations. Through the invasion of the British, the kingdom was destroyed and now exists as a city in Anambra state with an existing Oba (king) of the Onitsha monarchy.