JOURNALS

ABSTRACT

t Economic activities are the main spring and life blood of any society. As such; an elaborate and organised exchange of various goods had been in existence many years before the beginning of money economy. Market is therefore, the environment in which the forces of supply and demand of these various exchange operate; it is also seen as a place where two or more parties can gather to facilitate the exchange of goods and services. The parties involved would usually be buyers and sellers. The market may be physical like a retail outlet where people meet face-to-face, or virtual like on-line market where there is no direct physical contact between buyers and sellers1. Over the years, the bulk of the society has been kept in the dark about the origins of markets in Onitsha. The paper is an attempt to bridge the gap as it aims to examine the origin of physical markets in Onitsha. The methodology of this paper is based on descriptive analysis of available data, using primary and secondary sources. The findings of the paper indicate that markets in Onitsha may have begun with the presence of the first settlers in Onitsha. The study recommends that local history should be documented to serve as a source of knowledge to the society