ONITSHA MARKET LITERATURE

Hey folks, Our first history topic is on Onitsha market! And the significant role it has played in shaping Nigeria’s literature and modern community.

Most of which was in plays, pamphlets, books, etc. These were sold in the 1950’s and 60’s.

What was more interesting about the Onitsha market tradition is that much of this literature is written in pidgin and creole varieties of English, and now, this sort of literature is now sought after by researchers who try to understand the social conditions of that period.

Another interesting thing about Onitsha market literature is that it was written by amateurs and people with modest educational background. So it was more like a fun tradition shared in the market for entertainment purposes.

The chaos, colour and noise of Africa’s largest market come alive in vibrant forms.

Some popular titles include; how to write love letters, how to become rich and avoid poverty, my seven young daughters are after young boys. So you can imagine how interesting and informal these plays and write-ups would be.

A lot of scholars have acknowledged the important role of OML to the development of Nigerian literature; Thomas R Buckman, former KU Director of libraries described the works as representing “a unique form of popular literature in Africa” that reflected “the serious concerns and social tensions of many of the people” in newly independent Nigeria.

Among the many writers of OML are Felix Stephen, Speedy Eric, Thomas Iguh, O. Olisah and Ogali A. Ogali who seemed to have been the most popular through his bestseller Veronica my Daughter 1956 which had a record sale of 250,000 copies.

Subsequently, many of the pamphlets and handbooks became means of offering advice in the face of adversity. E.g Trust nobody in time because human being is trickish and difficult. (And no this is not a typo, it is a title of a pamphlet.) Much of the literature focuses on love relationships and illustrates a moral as the story ends. E.g. About the husband and wife who hate themselves. Other pamphlets mirror the trials and tribulations that a protagonist must go through before achieving success, e.g No condition is permanent.

At this point, you may have already figured that Onitsha market literature was used by the people to tell their stories and in their own voices. In all, the books were highly patronised by youth because they were catchy stories written in simple English and presenting basic interesting concerns about sex, money, and other enticing topics.

Many of the authors of OML remain unknown, unseen and unsunk beyond the market.