User:Onwuzulike.O/sandbox

How the ‘Igba Boi System’ fits in to the theory of the commons
== Heading   ==

The ‘Igba Boi System’ is an Igbo Apprenticeship System that originated from the Igbos, in South East Nigeria.The ‘Igba Boi System’ is a good example of the commons.

Igba Boi System as commons rebuilt the Igbos economy after the civil war:

The ‘Igba Boi System’ became prominent in Igbo land immediately after the Nigeria Civil War (or Biafran War) that ended in 1970. The Biafran war, was a war between Nigeria and the Igbos, who at that time wanted to break away from Nigeria. The Biafran war decimated every investment, business and every form of livelihood of the Igbos. After the Biafran war, regardless of the amount an Igbo person has in the bank, he or she was given a paltry £20 to start their lives. The most astonishing part was that in a matter of some years, the Igbos recreated their lost economies and became a reference point in running successful and global businesses. The key question is, how did the Igbos transform from the state of penury they found themselves after the war to becoming highly successful business people across the globe? The Igba Boi System was instrumental in rebuilding the economies of the Igbos as those that were successful in their various businesses before the war were mandated by the traditional rulers to become an open business knowledge resource for the entire young ones in their respective villages and grow them to be like them business wise. Without the Igba Boi System that the Igbos used after the Biafran war, it would not have been possible for them to achieve economic relevance. The Igba Boi System is a huge success in Igbo land and has lifted hundreds of thousands of Igbo young people from poverty and hopelessness - and positioned them in building global business.

Relating the Elinor Ostrom views of the commons with Igba Boi System:

The Elinor Ostrom definition of commons as a social practice of governing a resource not by state or market but by a community of users that self-governs the resource through institutions that it creates corroborates the foundational tenets of the ‘Igba Boi System’ of the Igbo people. From time immemorial, wealthy people in the Igbo villages are owned in commons and to prove this, you will find most parents of those wealthy person questioning their children about what they have done for the rural communities’ development. The Igbos believe that wealth is not only for accumulation but also for re-distribution to affect positively the lives of the common people. This also explains why the Igbos do not joke with the Igba Boi System – which the they believe is a true way of redistributing or co-creating wealth among their tribes. The Igbos also believe that (‘Uba otu onye bara adighi ato uto’) which means that wealth is not ‘sweet’ or interesting when it is only one person that is wealthy, the converse is through for them, wealth becomes more interesting when your kinsmen are well to do. The ‘Igba Boi System’ adds credence to some of the ideologies that the Igbos respect like ‘Onye aghala nwanne ya’ which means - no one should abandon his brethren, ‘Onuru ube nwanne ya agbala oso’, meaning - don’t run away when you hear your brother’s cry, and ‘Igwebuike’ meaning - there is strength in brotherhood or unity.

Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe, who believes so much in the Igbo Apprentice System sees it as ‘a business philosophy of shared prosperity where participants co-operatively participate to attain organic economic equilibrium where accumulated market leverageable factors are constantly weighted and calibrated out, via dilution and surrendering of market share, enabling social resilience and formation of livable clusters, engineered by major participants funding their competitors, with success measured on quantifiable support to stakeholders, and not by absolute market dominance.” In fact, creating shared prosperity is one of the key drivers of the ‘Igba Boi System’ and also funding one’s competitors that he talked about is really interesting as no one will like to support or fund his competitors except in the Igbos Igba Boi System.

The promotion of the idea that wealth is for all:

With the ‘Igba Boi System’, there is a coming together of people to help especially their kinsmen, villages or communities to become economically and socially stable. Those that practice the ‘Igba Boi System understand that their wealth and resources are held in common and not owned privately (this belief is also pursued in the commons). This also explain why in Igbo land, one cannot say he is a wealthy person until he shows people those he has created wealth for. The person that has created more millionaires are respected the most, and during village festivals or gatherings, they usually ‘boast’ with the people number of people they have made millionaires. Indeed, the idea of sharing resources, mentoring others in business and equipping them to stand on their feet even without government intervention is a key message the ‘Igba Boi System’ is promulgating.

The Igba Boy System focuses on how people from a particular rural community that have succeeded in their businesses will involve the common people or families with extreme poverty and hand hold them, teach them their business tenets and at the end settle them to start their own businesses. In this ‘Igba Boi System’ there is no cost to be borne by the person doing the apprenticeship (otherwise knowns as ’Nwa Boi’) but rather his master (otherwise knowns as ’Oga’) will be the one housing and taking care of the ’Nwa Boi’ until he learns the trade and then he settles him (meaning giving him money and a place for his business), and then he stands on his own. With this Igba Boi System, many families at no cost have been lifted out of poverty. The Igba Boi System brings a sense of community, brotherliness and selflessness – the essential ingredients needed for the community development. The Igba Boi System is a good example of the commons where established people from the rural Igbo communities (that have done well in their chosen trades or businesses) select and mentor young people from their localities in the areas of merchandising and trading with the hope of helping them establish financially after a certain period of time. The Igba Boi Systems is a good example of how successful people in the rural communities are co-creating wealth among their people and systematically bringing financial independence among their people. It makes it possible for a very young poor boy with no hope for the future to grow from zero to becoming a very successful international business person.

The Igba Boi System gaining global recognition:

In 2017, the American Journalist Robert Neuwirth went to Alaba international market, the largest electronics market in West Africa to see for himself how the Igba Boi System (Igbo Apprenticeship System) works. By the way, Alaba international market is located in Lagos State Nigeria but is being controlled by the Igbos. He did a ted talk[|TED talk] to share to the world the exploit the Igbos are doing with their apprenticeship system. Here is what he said: ‘So, the interesting thing is that this mutual aid economy still exists, and we can find examples of it in the strangest places. So, this is Alaba International Market. It's the largest electronics market in West Africa. It's 10,000 merchants, they do about four billion dollars of turnover every year. And they say they are ardent apostles of Adam Smith: competition is great, we're all in it individually, government doesn't help us. But the interesting reality is that when I asked further, that's not what grew the market at all. There's a behind-the-scenes principle that enables this market to grow. And they do claim -- you know, this is an interesting juxtaposition of the King James Bible and "How to sell yourself." That's what they say is their message. But in reality, this market is governed by a sharing principle. Every merchant, when you ask them, "How did you get started in global trade?" they say, "Well, when my master settled me." And when I finally got it into my head to ask, "What is this 'settling?'" it turns out that when you've done your apprenticeship with someone you work for, they are required -- required -- to set you up in business. That means paying your rent for two or three years and giving you a cash infusion so you can go out in the world and start trading. That's locally generated venture capital. Right? And I can say with almost certainty that the Igbo apprenticeship system that governs Alaba International Market is the largest business incubator platform in the world.’

Conclusion:

Finally, and very remarkably, the ‘Igba Boi System’ does not consider competition in its equation -this might be difficult for many people to believe. The ‘Igba Boi System’ allows the community or people from the same area to carry out their businesses collaboratively without any from competition or jealousy. Whenever ‘Nwa Boi’ (the apprentice) is about to get what is called settlement (freedom), the ‘Oga’ (the master) will give him a substantial amount of money, get him a shop (mostly close to his own shop) and also equip him with the same products or goods he trades on. It does not end there, the ‘settled boy’ is also encouraged to pick any product that he does not have but was being requested by his customers and then return only the cost price to his master and keep back the profit. One will say, what is in it for the master to still go out of his way to help and equip a potential competitor who is likely to steal businesses from him? The answer is, the man who has settled his boy will have a more sense of fulfilment when he sees his former apprentice doing so well, so when he gets to the village or the community he is been respected for lifting one villager out of poverty.