German institute appoints Kenneth Amaeshi to lead communal entrepreneurship initiative in Imo

The New Institute, a German research group, has appointed Kenneth Amaeshi, the chief economic adviser to the Imo government, as chairperson of One Kindred One Business Initiative (OKOBI), a communal entrepreneurship programme.

Amaeshi, a Nigerian-born professor of sustainable business, will chair the programme for one year.

The programme is an economic initiative by Hope Uzodinma, the governor of Imo, aimed at supporting businesses and reducing unemployment and poverty at the grassroots level in the state.

In a report, Amaeshi said OKOBI would help “kindreds create and finance their communal businesses”, noting that it also “offers the government an opportunity to formalise grassroots business ventures, grow the economy, and expand its revenue generation capability”.

He said the approach aligns with the original social structure of the Igbo people through the “Umunna”, a term used in the southeast, to describe kindreds, a group of people that descended from a lineage, and Umuada, a traditional socio-political kin group comprising of the first daughters.

“OKOBI supports communities by helping them to be self-sufficient and addresses issues of poverty, inequality, and unemployment by leveraging strong kinship bonds,” the institute wrote.

“By harnessing a standing indigenous tradition of collective action, shared ownership, and mutual aid.

“OKOBI effectively puts Africapitalism into action and serves as a viable blueprint for economically empowering hitherto marginalised rural and urban communities in Africa and beyond.”