Onitsha Bridgehead Market and Regional Economic Integration in the South-East: An Economic Analysis

Regional markets function as nodes of economic integration that facilitate the movement of goods, services, and income across geographic boundaries. This study analyzes the role of Onitsha Bridgehead Market in driving regional economic integration across the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, with focus on trade patterns and income linkages observed between 2020 and 2024. The study is grounded in the New Economic Geography Theory, which examines how market concentration, agglomeration economies, and trade networks shape regional development trajectories. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining structured questionnaire surveys with key informant interviews. The target population comprised 12,000 registered traders and transporting agents operating within the Onitsha Bridgehead Market complex. A sample of 387 respondents was drawn using proportionate stratified random sampling. Findings reveal that the market serves as a critical supply hub for over 70 percent of market traders surveyed in at least three South-East states, indicating deep inter-regional supply chain linkages. The market's contribution to cross-border trade flows within the zone is estimated to exceed 25 billion naira monthly, based on trader-reported transaction volumes. However, infrastructural deficiencies, extortion by touts, and insecurity along trade corridors were identified as significant barriers to deeper integration. The study concludes that the Onitsha Bridgehead Market is a pivotal integrator of South-East regional economic activity. It is recommended that governments invest in market infrastructure, trade corridor security, and inter-state policy harmonization to unlock the market's full integration potential.

Keywords: Onitsha market, regional integration, economic geography, South-East Nigeria, trade corridors