The Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has said that the Igbo entrepreneurial model must be reformed, not discarded, if it is to remain competitive in today’s global economy.
Prof. Okonkwo, who was the facilitator at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of De Imperial Philanthropic Family in Lagos at the weekend, delivered a talk titled ‘Recalibrating the Igbo Entrepreneurial Model for the Emerging Global Economy.’
He maintained that although the strengths of the model, which include individual initiative, self-reliance and a long record of commercial success, remain valuable, the challenge is not to abandon the traditional model but to recalibrate it.
Prof. Okonkwo’s first proposal was to reformulate the Igbo apprenticeship system to ensure that apprentices acquire skills in digital commerce, financial technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence, international marketing, business management, intellectual property and export procedures. He advised that these competencies should be incorporated into the system while retaining its practical, mentor-based character.
He criticised universities that conduct research without considering how it could be commercialised, arguing that academic institutions need closer ties with industry. He also urged businesses to create opportunities for young people to contribute ideas and encouraged continuous learning and experimentation to keep indigenous firms dynamic. He further proposed closer exchanges between universities and markets to enable academic knowledge to complement skills from the informal sector.
On recalibrating the Igbo model, Okonkwo said businesses must collaborate more rather than engage in unhealthy competition and rivalry. He said although individual initiative remains a strength of the tradition, the complexity of modern production makes collaboration essential. He pointed to shared production facilities as a way of reducing the costs that small and medium-sized enterprises would otherwise bear individually.
He said: ‘A typical example of collaboration is my relationship with my dear friend and brother, Allen Onyema of Air Peace. This provides a practical illustration of an alternative approach. Many expected us to engage in bitter rivalry but we rejected that and have developed a mutually beneficial and worthy partnership whose significance has resonated within the aviation sector. Collaboration can create opportunities for partnerships and shared growth. Very soon, you would be able to buy Air Peace tickets and fly United Nigeria Airlines with it. These are the kinds of things collaboration among us can bring because there is more to gain than to lose.’
Okonkwo also spent several minutes discussing the export readiness of Nigerian businesses. He said that while studying in Russia, he could import goods from many countries but not from Nigeria because Nigerian products did not meet the required export standards.
He said Nigeria could export some agricultural products, but entering certain markets required meeting specific standards in certification, packaging, quality assurance, export documentation and intellectual property protection.
He cited the Aba Export Group lab, established under Abia State Governor Alex Otti and commissioned in 2025, as an example of institutional support. The lab is designed to help firms standardise, package and brand products for export, with initial focus areas including agro-products and fashion apparel.
He said: ‘Imagine a global economy in which enterprises can meet international standards, deliver consistent quality, and compete on reliability, price, and innovation. Even entrepreneurs can benefit from a more deliberate orientation toward export development and international market integration.
‘As I understand it, some of you here run production businesses. If you can take advantage of this, you can produce globally competitive, high-quality products for export. This requires improving product certification, packaging quality assurance, export logistics documentation, intellectual property protection, and compliance with the regulatory requirements of destination markets.’