UNIVERSITIES PRODUCE GRADUATES; IGBA BOI PRODUCES ENTREPRENEURS.

By Ewere Okonta, PhD

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Long before entrepreneurship became fashionable in university lecture halls and business schools began awarding MBAs, the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria had developed an indigenous system of business training that deserves serious national attention: Igba Boi apprenticeship system.

It is an apprenticeship model built on mentorship, discipline, practical experience, trust and, most importantly, the transfer of economic opportunities. Its uniqueness lies in one fundamental principle: an apprentice is not trained merely to become a worker but to eventually become an independent business owner.

At a time when thousands of Nigerian graduates roam the streets searching for scarce employment, perhaps our universities and policymakers should take a closer look at this traditional business school that has produced generations of successful entrepreneurs.

It does not award certificates, but its graduates often leave with something more tangible: business experience, commercial networks and start-up capital.

Born Out of Hardship, Built on Resilience

The growth of Igba Boi is closely associated with the economic recovery of the Igbo people after the Nigerian Civil War ended in 1970.

The war devastated southeastern Nigeria. Businesses collapsed, properties were destroyed, and livelihoods disappeared. The controversial £20 policy meant that individuals received only £20 from the banking system, regardless of their previous bank balances.

Faced with this economic catastrophe, the Igbo people turned to trade and entrepreneurship. Established traders took young people under their wings, trained them in the practical realities of commerce and eventually settled them with money, goods or other resources to establish independent businesses.

From economic devastation emerged a powerful culture of entrepreneurial resilience.

The University Without Walls

What makes Igba Boi remarkable is its practical approach to business education.

Apprentices learn purchasing, sales, negotiation, customer relations, inventory management, bookkeeping, supplier relationships and risk management by participating directly in business operations.

There are no elaborate lecture notes or examinations. The market is the classroom, experience is the teacher, and business independence is the ultimate qualification.

Unlike conventional employment, where workers may spend decades building someone else's business, Igba Boi is designed to prepare apprentices to become business owners themselves.

The settlement arrangement is particularly significant. It represents a deliberate transfer of capital and economic opportunity from an established entrepreneur to an aspiring one.

In other words, the master is preparing someone who may eventually become his competitor, business partner or even a bigger entrepreneur.

That is a remarkable philosophy of wealth creation.

From Apprentices to Industrialists

The entrepreneurial environment of Nnewi, Anambra State, provides compelling examples of what indigenous business culture can achieve.

Industrialists such as Chief Cletus Ibeto and Chief Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing illustrate how individuals who began in trading and commercial enterprises can build businesses of considerable national significance.

Across Nnewi, Onitsha, Aba and Alaba International Market, numerous successful entrepreneurs have emerged from apprenticeship and trading backgrounds.

Their experiences demonstrate the possibilities of combining practical business knowledge, mentorship, determination and access to commercial networks.

Although not every success can be attributed exclusively to Igba Boi, the broader lesson is undeniable: practical entrepreneurship training can create pathways from economic dependence to business ownership.

Should Government Regulate Igba Boi?

The growing interest in regulating and formalising the apprenticeship system, including initiatives associated with the Anambra State government, raises an important question: Will government regulation strengthen Igba Boi or eventually destroy what makes it work?

There are legitimate reasons for intervention. Some apprentices have been exploited, denied promised settlements or subjected to years of service without adequate protection. There are also cases of apprentices abandoning their masters before completing agreed arrangements.

These problems require attention.

Government should introduce simple, enforceable apprenticeship agreements, transparent settlement arrangements, accessible dispute-resolution mechanisms and basic welfare protections.

Digital literacy, financial management, e-commerce and emerging technologies should also become part of the training.

However, regulation must not become another avenue for bureaucracy, excessive taxation and political interference. The objective should be to protect the system, not suffocate it.

Why Should Igba Boi Remain an Igbo Advantage?

Here lies another important national conversation.

Why should such a powerful entrepreneurial model remain largely associated with one ethnic group when unemployment and poverty affect virtually every part of Nigeria?

The Yoruba could strengthen apprenticeship opportunities in fashion, entertainment, manufacturing and creative industries. Northern communities could expand practical training in agriculture, livestock and trade. The South-South could develop similar models around fisheries, marine services, technology and oil and gas support services.

These are opportunities for adaptation, not ethnic stereotypes.

Every community has successful entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers and professionals whose knowledge can be transferred to younger generations.

Nigeria needs a national apprenticeship culture that complements formal education and creates more pathways to economic independence.

The Beauty of Wealth Sharing

Perhaps the greatest lesson of Igba Boi is its philosophy of collective economic advancement.

When a master settles an apprentice, he creates another business owner. When that apprentice succeeds, he can employ others and take in apprentices of his own. The cycle continues.

It is community-driven capitalism: wealth, knowledge and opportunities circulate rather than remain concentrated in a few hands.

This challenges the mentality of entrepreneurs who focus exclusively on building wealth for their immediate families.

How many young people have you prepared to become independent business owners? How many lives have benefited from your experience and success?

The true legacy of an entrepreneur should not be measured only by the properties acquired or money accumulated, but also by the number of people empowered to succeed independently.

The System Is Not Perfect

We must not romanticise Igba Boi. Exploitation, broken settlement promises, poor working conditions and disputes between masters and apprentices remain genuine concerns.

A modern version must guarantee transparency, reasonable welfare standards, documented obligations and enforceable agreements.

Women should also enjoy equal opportunities to participate and benefit. Tradition must never become an excuse for discrimination or exploitation.

Modernisation should preserve the system's strengths while correcting its weaknesses.

A Challenge to Universities, Entrepreneurs and Youths

Our universities should not see apprenticeship as a competitor. Rather, they should explore partnerships with established businesses to give students practical entrepreneurial experience.

Imagine universities integrating structured business mentorship into their programmes, with students learning marketing, finance, production, technology and business management directly from successful entrepreneurs.

To established business owners, the challenge is simple: mentor young people and prepare them for economic independence. Your greatest legacy may be the entrepreneurs you create.

To Nigerian youths, understand that apprenticeship is not a sign of failure. Not everyone will secure a government job, work in an oil company or become a banker. Acquiring a valuable skill, learning business and building an enterprise are equally legitimate pathways to success.

Quick money may bring temporary excitement, but sustainable wealth is built through knowledge, discipline, value creation and patience.

Final Thoughts: Certificates or Competence?

Nigeria's unemployment crisis demands a rethink of how we prepare young people for economic life.

Universities remain indispensable, but academic certificates alone cannot guarantee employment or entrepreneurial competence. We need a productive combination of formal education, practical training, mentorship, technology and access to capital.

Igba Boi should not replace the university. It should challenge our universities to become more entrepreneurial and responsive to society.

Imagine a Nigeria where every successful entrepreneur mentors and settles even five young people. Imagine the multiplier effect if thousands of traders, manufacturers, farmers and professionals embraced this culture.

The resulting expansion of businesses, employment and economic opportunities could be enormous.

Perhaps the biggest question is not whether Igba Boi is better than an MBA. It is why a country battling unemployment has not paid greater attention to a homegrown system that turns business learners into business owners.

Nigeria does not merely need more graduates. It needs more job creators. And Igba Boi has a lesson we can no longer afford to ignore.

This is my core message: a call to rethink entrepreneurship, appreciate indigenous ingenuity and recognise that one of the most sustainable ways to fight poverty is to empower people to become employers rather than perpetual job seekers.

Dr Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media, a family-values advocate, teacher and writer. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor.