Date
5-22-2024
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy (PhD)
Chair
Erik Root
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, Traditional apprenticeship, Political Economy, Igbos, Southeastern Nigeria, Stakeholder Capitalism, Shared Prosperity, Propensity Score Matching
Disciplines
Economics | Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Recommended Citation
Osuagwu, Eze Simpson, "The Political Economy of the Igbos of Southeastern Nigeria: Analyzing the Igbo Entrepreneurship Model (IEM)" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5667.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5667
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between culture and economic development using the case of the Igbo ethnic group of Southeastern Nigeria. The Igbo traditional apprenticeship system has been widely described in contemporary political economy literature as a model for stakeholder capitalism and shared prosperity for sustainable entrepreneurial development. This study draws a sample of 2,000 entrepreneurs from five business clusters across Nigeria in Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi, Lagos and Abuja to ascertain if there is a significant difference between the entrepreneurs who passed through the traditional apprenticeship system and those who did not. The study employs a Propensity Score Matching technique to analyze the data to answer the research questions: whether the Igbo apprenticeship model affects business growth and survivability, the role of family on the success of the Igbo enterprise, and whether societal culture has a significant effect on Igbo entrepreneurial development. The study finds a significant relationship in all the hypotheses, noting that apprenticeship training enhances weekly revenue, business inherited from family has more years of survival and an entrepreneur who received financial settlement from mentor has more start-up capital. The Igbo society could be described as one of the most socially stable and economically prosperous ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa due to their hard work and perseverance. This study recommends that policy makers should formalize these enterprises to enhance their contribution to the economy of Nigeria. Furthermore, small business capital should be accessible to entrepreneurs and other ethnic groups should be encouraged to emulate the Igbo traditional apprenticeship system for social stability and economic progress.
