Over the years many urban areas in Nigeria have experienced rapid growth as a result of rapid urbanization and population growth, this has in turn affected the urban land use of those urban centers in Nigeria, the interaction between the urban economic forces has defined the use of land in urban areas instead of following the master plan of various urban centers. This study investigates the urban land use in Nigeria with a particular emphasis on Onitsha a major city in Anambra state to check if it is in line with a known urban land use model, ( multiple nuclei model). The study found that to the extent of Central business district (CBD) Onitsha urban is in line with the multiple nuclei theory, but with respect to other urban land use such as residential, industrial etc. the arrangement of land use in Onitsha does not conform with multiple nuclei model.