igbo

Who Are The Igbo Tribe And What Are Their Strengths, Way Forward?

by NwanyiAbia
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The Igbo people are the 5th largest ethnic group in Africa, constituting 34 million people spread across Niger-Congo, Volta- Niger region as of 2017.

The Igbos enjoy unique traditions and cultures, did you know that in the traditional Igbo calendar, 4 days make a week, 7 weeks made a month and 13 months made a year, a new year starts from “Onwa Mbu” sometime mid-February as we have it now.

The Igbo language is rich in suffixes and prefixes, laced with heavy information, this makes it translate to a variety of dialects. The first written communication among the Igbo tribe is the Nsibidi, its popularity among secret societies led to its relegation, and the introduction of Abidii Igbo as the written mode of communication among the Igbos.

The Igbos are predominately Christians, with an estimated 56% Catholics and 43% protestants/evangelical.

The Igbo tribe has a reputation in Nigeria and probably throughout Africa, as resilient, dogged traders who build viable small-to-medium size enterprises which are completely independent of government, for which they have been the most deprived of all the ethnic groups, getting the leftover from the spoils of the other regions.

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The region’s spirit of entrepreneurship, business savvy, and resilience is admirable. There is a popular saying if you get to any town in the world and you did not see an Igbo man, leave.

They are usually a target of envy, at every turn, other regions blame their business failures on the presence of the Igbos in their land, how inaccurate. They are people unanimously cursed to be successful at everything they touch.

Examples

The pogrom in northern Nigeria was born out of sheer jealousy of the development the Igbos brought to the main towns, over one million Igbos were killed, the ones that remained were chased out of the main towns to the suburban after they had developed the cities.

They can be likened to the orphaned child whose destiny rested on his ability to provide for himself void of any form of assistance, regardless, he rose and conquered. For people who lost everything in the war in 1967, their growth is enviable.

A typical Igbo Trader

The Igbos rose by lifting others, a young man comes of teen age, is sent to learn a trade from a relative, he understands the business and is “Settled” by his “Oga”. The apprenticeship system has raised many Igbo men who are making business waves internationally.

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The Igbo trader is fantastically prudent, many millionaires started with less than $100 dollars, through prudence and strategic business practices they build and consolidate. Nearly every Igbo family has a millionaire, all these achieved without government support.

The next step

The practice of knowing your identity is your strength. The Igbos have understood their identity to be trade and business, every Igbo man is strategically business-oriented. We are however unsure if it is environmentally learned or genetically.

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Education has produced more dependent persons than lack of it, what has education done for the churn of graduates produced annually, the apprenticeship system has done more for Igbo graduates.

Is education a crime?

No, education is not a crime; however, it is advised that education should be presented and serve as an alternative to Trading for the Igbo region.

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Education should be presented alongside trading for young Igbo teenagers while they are choosing their career path. Education should not be forced, as the saying goes, learning never ends. After apprentice, the young man or woman can attend Open University to get a wider knowledge of business.

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