The Igbo Apprenticeship Model (IAM) is one of the most perennial local systems in Africa for transferring skills, fostering entrepreneurship, and generating jobs. Although its importance has been recorded extensively in southeastern Nigeria and key commercial regions, there has been minimal academic focus on its impact in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, which serves as Nigeria’s administrative hub and it’s among the rapidly expanding informal economies. The study investigates the effects of the Igbo apprenticeship approach on job creation in FCT Abuja, utilizing a mixed-methods strategy that includes a thorough literature review, analysis of secondary data, and semi-structured discussions with Igbo business owners, apprentices, and leaders of trade associations in significant markets throughout the area. Guided by Human Capital Theory and Social Capital Theory, this study examines how the IAM promotes skills development, business formation, and employment multiplication effects within the informal sector. The results demonstrate that the IAM plays a crucial role in job creation through an established cycle involving mentorship, knowledge transfer, and financial settlement, with around 60 to 65% of commerce-based enterprises in leading commercial areas linked back to this system. In FCT Abuja, the model has established an employment network where each master entrepreneur typically provides three to five direct job opportunities via apprenticeship programs, along with further indirect jobs emerging through supply chain connections and market systems. Nevertheless, the study also uncovers significant challenges such as exclusion based on gender, a reduction in the duration of training for apprentices, a weakening of trust frameworks, and minimal coordination with formal vocational education. The paper concludes that, although the IAM continues to be an effective local tool for generating employment, its ongoing success is contingent on strategic policy coherence, institutional recognition, and reforms that include gender considerations. Suggestions are presented for policymakers, trade organizations, and development experts aiming to utilize local entrepreneurial frameworks for enduring job creation in urban Nigeria.

Keywords: Igbo Apprenticeship System, Igba-Boi, Employment Generation, Informal Economy, Entrepreneurship, FCT Abuja, Youth Unemployment, Skills Transfer, Social Capital, Nigeria.