To rebuild Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi and other trading cities after 1970, the Igbo relied on Igba Boi, a form of unpaid business apprenticeship often described as one of the world’s largest informal business incubators. An established trader (the Oga) takes in a young person (Nwa Boi) from his village or extended family, in three steps:
- Selection and training. After a formal handover between families, the apprentice lives with the master for roughly four to seven years, receiving board and lodging while learning a trade (spare parts, electronics, textiles), bookkeeping, negotiation and logistics.
- Service and loyalty. The apprentice works without a salary, helping the business grow while proving honesty and resilience.
- Settlement. At the end, the master “settles” him with start-up capital, often a rented shop and initial stock, so that he can open his own business.
Repeated across generations, the cycle has created thousands of businesses and some of Nigeria’s best-known entrepreneurs, such as Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Group. In 2025, Anambra State adopted the Igba Boi Law (effective 10 September 2025), requiring written contracts, creating an Igbo Apprenticeship Commission and adding welfare protections to prevent exploitation.