Victor EzejaIn what came as a pleasant surprise, the director of Enugu Amaka Building Materials, Mr Jude Chijioke Ugwu, suddenly called one of his servants, Junior, and announced his decision to empower him with the sum of ₦15 million after serving the master for seven years.
This came as a shocking surprise to Junior, who least expected to hear such good news on a busy working day at their shop located at Trans Ekulu, Enugu State.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn a video that went viral, Mr Ugwu called the servant and told him his plan to settle him with ₦15 million to set up his own business. To match his words with action, he scribbled a cheque and issued it to the manager who presented it to the boy.
Shocked by the gesture, the boy knelt and thanked the oga profusely as he gave him the cheque.
He advised the servant to continue with his attitude of diligence and remain focused on becoming successful in business as he is moving to Lagos.
Thrilled by the gesture, but with some element of doubt as to whether the video was a mere skit to catch some cruise on social media, Prime Business Africa correspondent contacted the director to confirm it.
Speaking to our correspondent via telephone, Mr Ugwu said he decided to settle the boy in that way because of his performance during the years he has been with him.
This is the Igbo Apprenticeship system (IAS), commonly referred to as ′Igba-Odibo’ or ‘Igba-Boyi’, a framework of formal and informal agreement between a master and a servant. This economic model practiced widely by Igbos in South-east Nigeria, has raised many entrepreneurs and billionaires operating various businesses in different parts of the country and beyond.
Usually, a certain number of years is agreed upon by both parties, and in the process, the servant lives with the master (oga), learns the trade and other skills, and helps the master in growing and expanding the business.
“Usually, we don’t have an agreement on a specific amount that ‘nwa boyi’ (servant) is settled with at the end of his stay but it all depends on his performance. If you do well, you get a better settlement,” Mr Ugwu told Prime Business Africa.
Aside from giving Junior ₦15 million as starting capital for his business, his master also offered to give him one of the company’s best shops in Lagos.
According to Mr Ugwu, Junior, who like him, had experienced difficulties while growing up, lost his father at a younger age, has been very humble and hard-working all through the years he stayed with him and so deserved to be settled well.
The oga stated that Junior always went out of his way to ensure that customers were satisfied; constantly cleaning the shop and goods, and has remained honest in accounting for sales he made for him daily.
“When loaders are not around, Junior would always load tiles, WCs and other building materials for customers, I commend him in a special way,” he added.
He, however, said that some servants might do well yet some masters with no good conscience could decide not to settle them well or even leave them with nothing.
Mr Ugwu said he decided to settle his boy in that manner to send a message to the world that it pays to be loyal, humble and diligent in serving one’s master, leading to success of the venture.
He expressed concerns that many youths nowadays no longer want to serve and undergo the process of becoming entrepreneurs as they seek illicit shortcuts to become wealthy.
The gesture from Ugwu to his servant has turned out to bring more favour to the boy. According to the master, some people have called and offered more financial support to the boy.
The master, who has been in the business for almost two decades, and settled more than five persons already doing well in business, promised to continue guiding the boy as he starts his own business.
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The Igbo Trade Apprenticeship system aims to spur economic growth and stability, and sustainable livelihood by financing and investing in human resources through vocational training.
The apprenticeship system has continued to sustain the Igbo entrepreneurship trait for ages. It has two-fold advantages- human resource development and capital funding for business/enterprise setup.
In the course of serving, the servant learns various skills such as technical, managerial and interpersonal skills.
The success of this Igbo Apprenticeship System for centuries, as an entrepreneurship model has been recognised and adopted by Harvard University Business School as a course module to be studied.
The Harvard Business Review on 21 April, 2021, recognised and approved the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS) led by Ndubuisi Ekekwe, a Nigerian professor from Igbo land after passing through various phases of editorial work. Ekekwe’s study brought the IAS to global attention.
The system, according to analysts, helps to address the problem of growing inequality between the rich and the poor in communities.
The gesture has elicited many reactions online as people commended both the master and the servant.
Commenting on the gesture by Mr Ugwu to his servant, Nollywood actor, Joseph Okechukwu, said Igbo people are known for such entrepreneurial activity and urged people to promote the system instead of a shortcut to riches.
“This is what Igbos are made of, our identity – Apprenticeship. Harvard University says the Igbo Apprenticeship programme is the most successful business incubation programme on earth… “What we have is more than gold, yet our young have been deceived into chasing shadows and shorter cuts to the top,” Okechukwu stated on X handle on Wednesday, 14 February 2025.
Also reacting to the video, an X user stated: “This is awesome. Loyalty and faithfulness are praiseworthy. What an exemplary young man and master. Both deserve commendation. May the young entrepreneur succeed.”
“Most Beautiful moment when a boy is about to become a man! Igbo apprentice tradition is the best thing we have down east! People abuse it, but great people are also made through it,” another X user Rova, wrote.
“The good thing about it is not just the N15m, the oga will help him open shop, take him to suppliers so that they know the boy, then he will use those N15 m buy goods put for shop for the boy, they will even supply him goods of more than N15m and he will pay later as he sells because na him oga carry am come, considering how loyal that boy is you will see him writing check of N20m soon and still yet wear that rag he is wearing, my brother no be by gucci belt gbado anya,” another X user, Eze Pharoah stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
