'Opobo' is a city in
River state, southern
Nigeria. As of 2007 Opobo had an estimated population of 131,579.
[1]
A key centre of the
palm oil trade, Opobo was founded in 1869 by
Jaja, an
Igbo slave-boy who had risen to become a powerful merchant prince in
Bonny.
[ "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition" ]
Under Jaja, Opobo briefly dominated the region's palm oil market, but was removed by the
British in 1887 for blocking British access to Nigeria's interior. After Jaja's arrest and
exile to
Saint Vincent in the
West Indies, Opobo rapidly declined in power.
Opobo was formerly a part of the the
Bonny Local Government Area (LGA). After the creation of more LGAs, Andoni/Opobo LGA emerged with Andoni (Ngo) as the headquarters. In a further development, the Opobo/Nkoro LGA was created.
References
1. "The World Gazetteer"