Imu Ahia /Ímù Ólú/Oru
How the Igbo Apprenticeship helped heal the wounds of Biafra.
In 1967 Nigeria declared war on the secessionist state of Biafra (formally Eastern Nigeria predominantly of the Igbo ethnic group, alongside many of their neighbours like the Ibibio, Efik and Ekoi).
What followed was one of Africa’s most brutal and genocidal conflicts where an estimated 1-3 million Biafrans died.
The carnage of the Biafran war left Igbo people socially and economically devastated whilst simultaneously fueling ethnic tensions which still plague Nigeria till this day.
Despite these major setbacks if you visit Nigeria today Igbo people are the economic heartbeat of Nigeria and are a visible (often dominating) presence in every major trading hub in Nigeria.
But how have Igbo people recovered from the devastation of Biafra in order to impose such an economic presence in modern Nigeria?
One of the answers is… Imu Ahia (The Igbo Apprenticeship system).
The Igbo apprenticeship system is a practice where an established Igbo businessman (occasionally women) foster a young person (often from a less privileged family) in order to train and rear them in the practical and economic elements of their trade.
Continue reading “Imu ahia/ (Ímù Ólú/Oru) – The Igbo Apprenticeship System”
