APPRENTICESHIP IN YORUBA ECONOMIC CULTURE OF IBADAN, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Apprenticeship is a fundamental component of Yoruba economic culture, facilitating skill acquisition, wealth creation and intergenerational knowledge transfer. Nevertheless, the decline in Yoruba apprenticeship system poses significant threat to Ibadan economy, livelihood of youths and policy sustainability. Previous studies have highlighted entrepreneurship and labour mobility; the socio-economic integration and mentorship of Yoruba apprenticeship networks and culture remain under-researched. This study focuses on apprenticeship in Yoruba economic culture in Ibadan. Human Capital Theory provided the framework. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design, using a mixed-methods approach, was adopted. A sample of 350 apprentices were selected through a systematic sampling technique for the quantitative approach. Using a snowball sampling technique, six key informant interviews were conducted with master artisans, while a purposive sampling method was used to select nine apprentices for in-depth interviews. Findings reveal that the majority started apprenticeship in 2020, involved in apprenticeship combined with formal education, used modern technology in apprenticeship for the purpose of income generation and certification. Informal apprenticeship was a means of sustaining informal Yoruba vocational heritage, which involved empowerment through vocational work, mentorship and indigenous productivity. Therefore, the Federal and Oyo State Governments should institutionalise the apprenticeship of the Yoruba people through the process of certification, provision of financial support, technological training and vocational regulation.