It’s very surprising that most people do not know that the 3rd largest Auto Mobile market in the world is located in Nnewi, Anambra state the south Eastern part of Nigeria.
It is the busiest and largest automotive parts market in Africa as People from different parts of Nigeria, west Africa and Central
Africa, Asia(most especially Chinese and Indians) all come to Nnewi to buy and sell goods.
The traders are mostly Igbos from different states in Nigeria who are manufacturers, importers, merchants and retailers.
The market was driven by Nnewi indigenes following the end of the civil war, just like the saying goes necessity is the father of invention.
The market sprouted after the Pogrom (massacring of over 30,000 Igbos in the Northern part of Nigeria) when the Nnewi people who are well known by their Business acumen started streaming home in their thousands between 1966- 1967 with no place to do business as they have lost all their businesses in the non-Igbo states.
The then available market popularly known as
‘’Nkwo Triangle’’ was too small to accommodate the returnees. This call for the necessity of moving the market to Okpuno Ebenato Uruagu.
The Nnewi Royal Cabinet under the leadership of the ‘‘Four Obis’’ of Nnewi (Igwe Otolo which is the isi Obi, Obi Uruagu, Obi Umudim and Obi Nnewichi) with Chief Z.C Obi as the Chairman and Leonard. N.E Nsoedo as the secretary set up a Market Planning/ Development Committee.
The committee constituted itself into a '' Land Negotiating Committee'' and met with different individuals in the village to make their land available for the new market. Through the help of the village head, Chief Iloka, vital
roles played by Chief Louis Nwagbala and the co-operation of the people of Okpuno-Ebenato Uruagu Nnewi, land was acquired for the establishment of the market.
In 1970, immediately after the Nigeria/ Biafra civil war, the market committee swung into action working tirelessly to establish a behemoth of a market to the astonishment of detractors who never believed in the rise of an Igbo man due to the war. Businesses started booming making the Nnewi people in other parts of Nigeria to start bringing their businesses down to Nnewi.
The Igbo Apprenticeship system whereby young Igbo boys are meant to serve their master generally referred to as ‘‘Oga’’ for an agreed number of years and then set up in a business and given cash at hand as settlement also played a vital role in the booming of the market.
The "Mgbuka" (old Auto parts ) market established by Late Chief Gab Nzewi who as popularly known as Mallam Gab trained a lot of boys in old spare parts that by the end of the war, Nnewi people were cannibalizing old cars turning it into new parts and fairly used parts which was a vital trade that generated money for the new motor parts as there were not enough money after the war.
The market began to expand from not only motor parts but also into motorcycle parts. People like Late Chief Ejikeme Augustine Ilodibe the owner of Ekene Dili chukwu transport and Late Okaka Daniel
Ubajaka the owner of Izuchukwu transport played a vital role as they are bringing in motorcycle for sell.
Large importers like Chief Cletus Ibeto, Chief Isaiah Nwafor popularly known as Mgbeagbala and many others cued into the Motorcycle parts as well as taking young Igbo boys from different parts of Igbo land as Apprentice thereby bringing the market at its peak to the extent the Nnewi Auto parts market
became advertence as the only place you can get spare auto parts.
The market was booming such that the former military president of Nigeria, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida when he visited the town described it as the Japan of Africa.
As at today, the market have grown into a more sophisticated market with over 10 million dealers and manufacturers with unique Entrepreneurial spirits such as the Innoson Group Of Companies that specializes in Automobile and Bus manufacturing, The Ibeto Group of Companies that manufactures
Automotive lead-Acid Batteries and also petrochemical industries for oil lubricant as well as production of various type of petroleum products for local and international market.
The industrialists at the helm of spare parts factories in Nnewi are also traders who manufacture products and specialize in the marketing and distributing of their Goods.
The Automobile parts market brought Nnewi to the spotlight as the fastest growing urbanizing community without any governmental or multinational influence. The market also brought Nnewi into International dimension through trading relations with people from different parts of Africa as well as exporters from Asia.
In conclusion, development will always be futile in Igbo land without going back to our Obi system of government. The Obis of Nnewi have to make plans by themselves and think better as families.
Igbo enwe eze( Igbos don’t have king) is a true aspect of the Igbo people. The 2023 Igbo presidency can never develop Igbo land because Igbo system of government is based on brotherhood.
Until we wake up to that reality, we are going no where in terms of development.
