Beyond Western paradigms: exploring the intersection of Igbo cultural belief and entrepreneurship

Long before scholars in developing nations began emphasizing the role of culture in entrepreneurship, Western-centric discourse dominated the global academic landscape, positioning Western cultural factors as the universal standard for entrepreneurial success. This dominance created a significant issue bother on overgeneralization of Western findings to vastly different contexts and the marginalization of culturally grounded explanations from the Global South. This paper offers a fresh perspective by examining the intersection of Igbo cultural beliefs and entrepreneurship in Southeast Nigeria, departing from traditional Western paradigms. The study identifies and explores six core cultural beliefs that foster human capital development and an ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ within Igbo society. Employing an exploratory research design and purposive snowball sampling, the study engaged N = 75 participants across three prominent markets in the Lagos metropolis: Ladipo, Idumota, and Alaba International. Findings reveal the unique contributions of indigenous African belief systems to entrepreneurship. In due course, this research encourages other cultural groups to leverage their heritage for wealth generation and job creation, celebrating Africa’s rich cultural foundations as a viable pathway to poverty reduction.