Ben Eguzozie
Anambra State has passed into law Igba Boi, the Igbo age-old apprenticeship system, which development experts, economists, and sociologists describe as the largest business incubator system in the world, contributing to the over $4 billion in annual revenue generated by thousands of its merchants.
Anambra, which hosts the famous African Onitsha Main Market and Nnewi industrial hub, the little town of the rich, elevated into law the apprenticeship system, which acts as a form of locally generated venture capital, where a business owner (master) provides the apprentice (nwa boi) with startup capital after a period of training, which then allows the apprentice to become an independent merchant.
Effective September 10, this year, the system goes into law, which has been a major driver of commerce in large markets like Alaba International Market in Lagos, Onitsha Main Market in Anambra, and Ariaria International in Aba, Abia State. The law sets apprenticeship duration at 7 years; requires basic education for apprentices; establishes a commission to register and resolve disputes.
Some development experts described the law as a bold step to modernize and protect the legendary Igbo wealth-creation model. One analyst, Ekekwe said Igba Boi “prevents extreme poverty and inequalities in communities,” and has made “the Igbo nation relatively stable”.
The traditional Igbo business apprenticeship system in Nigeria operates as where young apprentices (boi) learn a trade or business from a master (Oga) for several years. At the end of their service, the Oga provides the boi with capital and customers to start their own businesses, creating a cycle of entrepreneurship and community development that has fostered significant wealth and success within the Igbo community.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the private sector specific arm of the World Bank acknowledges the Igbo informal economy, in which Igba Boi plays a crucial role, as a significant economic contributor in Nigeria, especially the informal sector, which accounts for over half of the country’s GDP, and employing the majority of the workforce.
Robert Neuwirth, an American journalist, in a 2017 TedTalk presentation, looking at the Alaba International Market, where 10,000 merchants do business for over $4 billion a year, and identified the sharing principle behind it, described the Igbo Igba Boi scheme as “the largest business incubator platform in the world”.
Ogechi Adeola, a professor of marketing at the Lagos Business School (LBS) in Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, explaining why the Igbo apprenticeship is the largest business incubator system in the world at a PAU inaugural lecture, “Decolonising Africa’s Business Practices: Pro-Indigenous Marketing Pathways to a Paradigm Shift”, said Igbo apprentices are groomed at a very young age to be great businessmen and women.
Key aspects of the Igba Boi system
It is a communal system where successful businesses help develop others, providing capital and customers to new entrepreneurs. It involves structured agreements between the master and apprentice, often including a trial period to assess the apprentice’s potential. Apprentices learn practical skills like marketing and negotiation, gaining hands-on experience that outweighs theoretical knowledge. Upon completion, the
master often provides the apprentice with a startup capital and access to their customer base, enabling them to start their own businesses. The system fosters strong business communities, and facilitates the circulation of wealth, as successful former apprentices
often become masters themselves. Igba Boi is a vital part of Igbo cultural heritage and norms, promoting self-reliance and practical entrepreneurship for economic advancement.
How it works
Parents identify a need for their child to learn skills or trade, or inability to afford higher education. A suitable master (Oga) is sought out for the apprentice. A handover ceremony occurs, followed by a trial period (often three months) where the apprentice’s commitment and suitability are tested. The apprentice learns all aspects of the business, including marketing, negotiation, and customer relations. After completing the agreed term, the master provides capital to help the apprentice launch their own business in the same niche, fostering a symbiotic relationship. The former apprentice can then become a mentor, passing on their knowledge and contributing to the continuity of the system.
