NAIJA EMPIRESWIKI Play now
Chapters
StartWiki homeYour first hour
How it worksBuilding and upgradingTown centre levelsResources and workersMeters, budget and approvalThe councilResearchArmy and raidsHazardsThe four erasKola and speed-ups
The worldAll 38 citiesThe four erasQuestions
Wiki › Cities › Onitsha
Onitsha in the game

Onitsha

The great market · The east bank of the Niger

Play OnitshaEra III · Khaki to Agbada

Starts1999
RulerThe Council chairman
Hero in battleHelicopter gunship
Levels1 to 12

The five ages

  1. 1

    Democracy returns

    1999–2000 · town-centre level 1

    Civilian rule returns in May 1999. Onitsha’s Main Market is one of the busiest in West Africa, and lorries queue at the Niger Bridge day and night. Start with homes, markets, power and order.

  2. 2

    Lines open

    2001–2004 · town-centre level 4

    Mobile phones arrive in 2001, and Onitsha’s traders run their businesses from them.

  3. 3

    Banks and big money

    2005–2007 · town-centre level 7

    The banks merge at the end of 2005, and the market’s traders become the banks’ best customers.

  4. 4

    The river port

    2008–2010 · town-centre level 10

    In 2007 Holy Trinity becomes a minor basilica. Traders press for a second bridge and a working river port.

  5. 5

    Naija Now

    2010s · town-centre level 13 (beyond this era)

    The story continues in Naija Now.

People of Onitsha

The figures who appear as the city grows, run by the Council chairman.

The Council chairman

That is you

A term to run West Africa’s great market city.

The market women

The Main Market

Their associations run the stalls and keep the peace.

Portrait: fictional depiction

The lorry drivers

The Niger Bridge

They carry the east’s goods across the river every day.

Portrait: fictional depiction

Your hero in battle

Helicopter gunship

Air cover

Flies over walls straight to the fight. Ability: Air cover. Every unit nearby fights harder: +35% damage for 12 seconds.

The council

SeatWho they areSpeaks for
The council treasurerThe moneypeople, trade and the treasury
The divisional police officerSecuritythe police and Peace
Adviser on religious affairsChurches and mosquesFaith and faith balance
The education secretarySchools and trainingProgress and research
The market leadersThe Main Market traders’ unionWealth and Unity
The health secretaryClinics and hospitalsHealth
The power adviserPower and fuelthe grid
The legislative councilCouncillorswhether you keep office

Raiders and bosses

Who comes for the city in each age. Bosses come once you are into their age. How raids work.

AgeRaidersBoss
First
Democracy returns		Armed robbersNone
Second
Lines open		Street gangsNone
Third
Banks and big money		Kidnap gangsA wave of kidnappings
Gangs strike the highways
Fourth
The river port		Cult gangsA night of riots
The city burns for a night
Fifth
Naija Now		Armed militiaNone

Soldiers

SoldierFrom level
Police officerRiot police with shields and batons.2
SoldierInfantry with rifles.3
Armoured carHard to stop and slow to fall.7
MarksmanOne heavy shot from far away.10

Buildings

Every building Onitsha can raise, shown as it looks in the middle of the story. What each type does.

People

Housing estate

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

From face-me-I-face-you blocks to towers. Houses your people.

Hospital

Unlocks at town-centre level 4

Raises Health, and healthy workers produce more. Raiders never touch it.

High Court

Unlocks at town-centre level 5

Raises Trust and some Peace. Low Trust lets officials skim taxes.

Economy

Agro farm

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

Mechanised farming and food processing. Tap it when it fills.

Cement works

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

Cement for every building site in the city. Materials.

Steel works

Unlocks at town-centre level 2

Iron rods and steel frames. Materials.

Cold store

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

Refrigerated food storage. Raises your Food storage.

Warehouse

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

Containers and building stock. Raises your Materials storage.

Bank

Unlocks at town-centre level 3

Raises how much Wealth you can keep.

Market

Unlocks at town-centre level 3

Umbrella stalls that grow into malls. Wealth, plus a little Unity.

NEPA power station

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

The national grid’s local station. When it fails, NEPA has “taken light” and the generators start. Every building draws power.

River port

Unlocks at town-centre level 10

Barges and canoes load at the Niger waterfront. A large Wealth producer. Must touch the water.

Culture

Church

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

Raises Faith. Keep churches and mosques in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.

Mosque

Unlocks at town-centre level 1

Raises Faith. Keep mosques and churches in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.

University

Unlocks at town-centre level 4

Lecture halls that grow into a tech campus. Makes Knowledge and runs research. Raiders never touch it.

Stadium

Unlocks at town-centre level 4

Match days and concerts. Raises Unity. A big enough stadium can host the Africa Cup of Nations.

Air base

Unlocks at town-centre level 7

A helipad and hangar. Brings the helicopter gunship to your forces.

Holy Trinity Basilica

Unlocks at town-centre level 8

The Catholic cathedral of Onitsha, finished in 1935 and made a minor basilica in 2007. Heritage for the ladder.

Defence

Police station

Unlocks at town-centre level 3

Raises Peace and keeps robbers off the streets.

Security post

Unlocks at town-centre level 2

A floodlit post behind sandbags that fires on attackers.

Security wall

Unlocks at town-centre level 4

Concrete walls with razor wire and cameras, section by section.

Checkpoint

Unlocks at town-centre level 4

A manned barrier where an avenue crosses the security wall.

Armoured unit

Unlocks at town-centre level 10

Armoured vehicles behind sandbags. Hits hard, reloads slowly.

Army

Army barracks

Unlocks at town-centre level 2

Each level holds more soldiers.

Industrial park

Unlocks at town-centre level 5

Factories and workshops. Raises Progress.

Landmarks

Onitsha Main Market

Unlocks at town-centre level 4

One of the biggest markets in West Africa. Wealth and Unity.

The Niger Bridge

Unlocks at town-centre level 11

Opened in December 1965: 1,404 metres of steel across the Niger. Progress and trade. Must touch the water.

Research

TechnologyBranchEffect
Improved seedFarmingBetter seed and fertiliser: +10% Food.
Cold chainsFarmingLess food spoils on the way: +15% Food storage.
IrrigationFarmingYear-round farming: +15% Food.
Agro-processingFarmingMore value from every harvest: +20% Food.
Building codesBuildingFewer collapses, faster approvals: builds 8% faster.
Steel framesBuildingTaller and stronger: buildings +10% sturdier.
Local cementBuildingCheaper materials: builds cost 8% less.
Prefab towersBuildingFactory-built floors: builds 10% faster.
Police trainingDefenceBetter trained officers: +8% damage.
CCTV networkDefenceCameras on every post: posts +12% damage.
Body armourDefenceBetter protection: +12% unit health.
DronesDefenceEyes in the sky: +12% damage.
Instant paymentsTradeTransfers in seconds: +10% Wealth.
Ease of businessTradeFewer forms and fees: +12% Wealth.
Free trade zoneTradeInvestors and exporters move in: +20% Wealth.
Teacher trainingLearningBetter teachers: +15% Knowledge.
Tech hubsLearningCoders and start-ups: research 15% faster.
Research labsLearningUniversities that invent: +20% Knowledge.
Festival calendarHeritageConcerts, carnivals and festivals: Faith and Unity rise.
Nollywood studiosHeritageFilms for the whole continent: Heritage.
Afrobeats on the world stageHeritageThe city’s sound goes global: Heritage.
Fintech signatureHeritageSignature tech. Money moves by phone: Knowledge and Progress.
Urban rail signatureDefenceSignature tech. Trains link the districts: walls and posts 25% stronger.

Did you know?

Play Onitsha