In the bustling markets of Nigeria, stories of rags to riches are not rare. Behind many of these success tales, lies a centuries-old system that has quietly built one of Africa’s most resilient business cultures, the Igbo Apprenticeship System, locally called Igba Boyi.
It is a homegrown model of mentorship and economic empowerment that has turned countless boys and girls into business owners, employers and millionaires. But the initiative is now on the brinks of extinction because the youth are no longer interested in it due to their crave for white collar jobs and get-rich-quick syndrome as well as other factors.
The initiative has produced numerous Igbo multi-billionaires such as the chairman of Innoson Motors, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, the CEO of Coscharis, Cosmas Maduka, the CEO of Ibeto Group of Company, Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, the CEO of Chikason Group, Chief Alexander Chika Okafor, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu also known as Cubana Chiefpriest and others.
A 35-year-old businessman, Chukwudi Eze, while unlocking his electronics shop in Kubwa village market, recalled his early days as an apprentice.
“I used to wash plates, run errands and I learnt how to talk to customers. My Oga taught me everything, from buying goods in Lagos to managing money. When he settled me, I cried like a child. That was the day I became my own man,” he narrated.
Eze was one of millions of Nigerians whose lives had been transformed by Igba Boyi. Rooted in the southeastern region of Nigeria, this system has produced an army of entrepreneurs, and in many cases, millionaires without formal education or government support.
Findings from Toscad News reveal that the Igba Boyi system has been practiced for centuries. It played a crucial role in helping the Igbo people reintegrate into the nation’s economic system after the Civil War. The model became so influential and widespread that the Harvard Business Review described it as a form of stakeholder capitalism.
A high Chief of Igbo Community in Gwagwalada, Chief Boniface Nwosu, who said he was 15 years old during the civil war, explained that the Igbo apprenticeship tradition was traced to the aftermath of slavery and colonization.
“Deprived of formal power or state support, the Igbo people relied on trade and enterprise to rebuild their lives. After the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to 1970, when many Igbos lost all their possessions, the system became a lifeline.
Our fathers came home from the war with nothing but hope,” They started again, took boys from the villages, trained them, and settled them. That’s how the East rose again,” Chief Nwosu explained.
Concerned about the decline, the CEO of United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, established a ₦15 million research grant at UNIZIK Business School (UBS) in 2020 to investigate the factors responsible for the downturn and propose strategies for revival.
In 2021, some findings were made and the Principal Investigator at the UNIZIK Business School, Prof Nkemdili Nnonyelu said devaluation of family values and unbridled quest for materialism were responsible.
Prof Nkemdili Nnonyelu recommended that the system should be reconceptualised to eliminate any form of stigma attached to the ‘Igba Boyi’ syndrome to make it attractive. The research also found out that the name ‘Igba Boyi’ made young boys in the trade feel humiliated.
A Domestic Catalyst for Economic Growth
The Igba Boyi system is a structured yet informal agreement between a mentor also known as Oga, and a young apprentice, Nwa Boyi, where business skills are passed down through years of hands-on training.
In return, the Oga settles the apprentice at the end of the period which is often between five and seven years with startup capital and goods to begin an independent venture.
An economist at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. Chinyere Okafor said Igba boyi is the most effective poverty eradication and wealth creation scheme that Africa has ever produced. “It’s entrepreneurship in its purest community-based form, one that recycles wealth and builds independence,” she noted.
A Tradition Forged in Adversity
The apprenticeships, which which could be from learning auto repair (Imu Oruaka) to mastering international trade (Imu Ahia), had since evolved with modernity. Today, apprentices train in fields such as electronics, fashion design, logistics, and technology.
The process according to a trader, Ogonna explained that they are in three stages; identification,training and graduation or settlement.
Ifeanyi Nnaji, who now owns a chain of spare parts stores in Apo mechanic village explained that he was settled with ₦50,000 in the early 90s. “It is the duty of the Oga to provide capital, equipment, or goods to help the apprentice establish a new business. Today, I’ve settled five boys of my own. That’s how the circle continues.“
However, while most agreements are based on trust, some apprentices complain of being denied settlements after years of service and others abandon their training midway.
According to an Abuja based lawyer and social advocate, Ngozi Anene, “there’s no legal framework to protect either side. Modern reforms could help preserve the tradition while ensuring fairness.”
Modern Challenges, New Horizons
Globalization and changing values have brought both opportunities and risks to the Igbo apprenticeship system.
Many young people now prefer quick income from digital trades over years of apprenticeship, while others, especially graduates, prefer learning trade strategies for a fee rather than full-time service.
For a boutique owner, Mr. Chekwube Okoro, “It is no longer safe to have apprentices. It is better to have sales girls or boys and you must open eyes to monitor them,” he added.
Despite these shifts, the model’s impact remains profound. According to scholars, it’s one of the world’s largest informal business incubation systems. It thrives without bank loans, corporate boards, or government grants but through trust and community responsibility.
The system, experts say, ensures that wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a few but shared across communities. As the Igbo adage goes; when wealth circulates within the community, envy disappears.
