It is generally known that the Igbo people love money. Even on social media, there is a general stereotype about Igbo people and their love of money. Although this doesn’t seem to offend them, after all, who doesn’t love money? A lot of people have tried to find reasons why they are so much in love with money. While others suggest that it relates to the Biafra war, some traces it to their historical origins.
According to some estimates, Igbo investments are a driving factor within Nigeria’s economy. They seem to have phenomenal success in entrepreneurship due to their culture. This appears unsurprising. Attaining wealth in Igbo culture is perceived as a blessing to be cultivated and not an object of scorn.
There is a believe that the Igbo people believes in immortality. They seem to believe that there is a life after here and that status achieved in this life can be carried over to the next world. So they work so hard to make sure that they are not just financially free but physically free. Physically free as they believe that an amadi (free born) in this life will be an amadi in the next, and a slave here, a slave in there, etc.
They also have a way of attributing success to salvation and failure to damnation. In those days, each Igbo man was believed to have a personal god known as Chi. According to them, Chi protected him in life and helped to complement his efforts. While setting up his own independent family unit, a shrine was also set up for his Chi by calling on a diviner, or anyone ritually qualified to perform the function. An altar is then served for sacrifice.
At this shrine sacrifices and prays are made. Mostly , they pray for long life, many children, material wealth and peace. Each time he met with good fortune he sacrificed a fowl or goat (depending on the degree of good fortune) to his chi in appreciation. Sacrifices were also made if he met with bad luck.
If in spite of such propitiatory or “catalytic” sacrifices the man continued to fail as a farmer, trader or father, then it would be concluded that his chi was bad either because it had not been properly set up or because of some sin commited either by the man or his ancestors. To solve this, the old Chi is then dismantled and a new one is set up in order to have a fresh start.
Despite the passion for seeking wealth, Igbo culture is guided by ethical principles. Wealth obtained by fraudulent means is seen as unworthy of emulation by Igbos. There is an Igbo proverb that “Aku luo uno okwuo ebe o si” (when wealth gets home, it declares its source). This proverbs illustrates the importance of ensuring that the community remains untainted by illegitimate sources of wealth.
