Nnadiebube Journal of Social Sciences

One of the distinctive characteristics that has marked the Igbo people of Nigeria out both locally and globally is their astute entrepreneurial spirit. At the heart of this entrepreneurial mindset is a mindset characterised by vision, creativity, and a readiness to undertake necessary risks (Nwankwo, 2015). Despite tragic historical setbacks (as seen in the Biafran war and its aftermath), the Igbo have always found a way to beat the odds and flourish. This seems to birth a survivalist mindset sustained by determined and consistent hard work. Hence, the Igbo is adjudged to scour profitable opportunities even from dead ends. This inherent entrepreneurial mindset is so pervasive that it has continued to shape the Igbo societal outlook through generations. In light of this, this paper, adopting a critical analytical approach, attempts a critical reflective exploration of the Igbo entrepreneurial mindset(spirit) to discover its very basis. It argues that the Igbo entrepreneurial spirit is deeply reflective of Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of “Habitus”. The study is significant as it offers insight into the basic underpinnings of the entrepreneurial mindset. The paper relies on secondary sources such as online journal articles and the internet.

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