Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies

African traditional entrepreneurship schemes have gained growing scholarly attention in recent times, with the Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme (IIES) recognized as the most impactful. Although scholars have explored various dimensions of the IIES, they agree that the phenomenon requires more...

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Main Authors: Godswill Agu, Clara Margaça
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Businesses
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/1/9
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author Godswill Agu
Clara Margaça
author_facet Godswill Agu
Clara Margaça
author_sort Godswill Agu
collection DOAJ
description African traditional entrepreneurship schemes have gained growing scholarly attention in recent times, with the Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme (IIES) recognized as the most impactful. Although scholars have explored various dimensions of the IIES, they agree that the phenomenon requires more exploration in order to position it properly in the global literature of entrepreneurship and support its adoption in other regions beyond the Igbo context. Currently, very few studies have investigated the roles, impediments, and possible solutions to the challenges faced by the IIES, and none is known that covers these three areas simultaneously. By deploying a mixed research method involving in-depth interviews with IIES enrollees and trainers, and a systematic literature review, this study proposes the 3Rs framework to the IIES. Thus, it anchors on the entrepreneurial venture creation theory and the multidimensional construct to explore the IIES’s relevance, restraints, and remedies. Several findings relating to the relevance of the scheme, such as its economic, social, financial, and environmental contributions, the restraints (informality, lack of regulation, eroding trust, and dwindling enrolment), and the remedies (including the formulation of regulatory policies, formalization of the scheme, talent hunting, and rekindling the spiritual side) are highlighted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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spelling doaj-art-e0d06918173a4bb595483e29350a5cb42025-08-20T02:11:18ZengMDPI AGBusinesses2673-71162025-02-0151910.3390/businesses5010009Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and RemediesGodswill Agu0Clara Margaça1Department of Marketing, Abia State University, Uturu 441103, Abia, NigeriaFaculty of Economic, Social and Business Sciences, Lusofona University—Porto University Center, 4000-098 Porto, PortugalAfrican traditional entrepreneurship schemes have gained growing scholarly attention in recent times, with the Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme (IIES) recognized as the most impactful. Although scholars have explored various dimensions of the IIES, they agree that the phenomenon requires more exploration in order to position it properly in the global literature of entrepreneurship and support its adoption in other regions beyond the Igbo context. Currently, very few studies have investigated the roles, impediments, and possible solutions to the challenges faced by the IIES, and none is known that covers these three areas simultaneously. By deploying a mixed research method involving in-depth interviews with IIES enrollees and trainers, and a systematic literature review, this study proposes the 3Rs framework to the IIES. Thus, it anchors on the entrepreneurial venture creation theory and the multidimensional construct to explore the IIES’s relevance, restraints, and remedies. Several findings relating to the relevance of the scheme, such as its economic, social, financial, and environmental contributions, the restraints (informality, lack of regulation, eroding trust, and dwindling enrolment), and the remedies (including the formulation of regulatory policies, formalization of the scheme, talent hunting, and rekindling the spiritual side) are highlighted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/1/9Igbosindigenous Igbo entrepreneurship scheme3RsAfrican traditional entrepreneurship
spellingShingle Godswill Agu
Clara Margaça
Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies
Businesses
Igbos
indigenous Igbo entrepreneurship scheme
3Rs
African traditional entrepreneurship
title Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies
title_full Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies
title_fullStr Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies
title_full_unstemmed Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies
title_short Indigenous Igbo Entrepreneurship Scheme: Relevance, Restraints, and Remedies
title_sort indigenous igbo entrepreneurship scheme relevance restraints and remedies
topic Igbos
indigenous Igbo entrepreneurship scheme
3Rs
African traditional entrepreneurship
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7116/5/1/9
work_keys_str_mv AT godswillagu indigenousigboentrepreneurshipschemerelevancerestraintsandremedies
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