Nigerian Breweries to empower 30 entrepreneurs in Life Nwa Boi Experience

Nigerian Breweries PLC, foremost beverage manufacturing firm in the Country has instituted an entrenuership scheme tagged, “Nwa Boi Life Experience”.

The scheme, which is aimed at developing new generation of successful beer merchants, was developed from the popular Igbo apprenticeship system, know as Igba Boi.

Addressing the press on Sunday at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, Chima Dims, Senior Brand Manager, Life Lager, said that the NB PLC is using the brand to reflect the culture of the Igbos.

According to him, there is nothing that we are doing that is new, but there is something that we should do better. I don’t think we have talked about our culture, as a people enough and the Life Lager brand has dedicated itself to reflect the value, identity and the culture of the Igbos.

He observed that the Nwa Boi system, which has been in existence for ages, is becoming less important to the new generation of Igbos.

“It is unique to the Igbos and as a brand, we need to tell the story better and Life Lager beer brand is the best platform to do that, because it is a brand that has credibility to talk about the Igbo culture.

We found out that there is a decline in the Nwa Boi system across the newer generation and we want to bring it up, especially among the beer segment and that is why we have brought out this scheme called the “Nwa Boi Experience” to talk about the whole process and the mechanism of actually getting our young ones to work under experienced entrepreneurs, grow to become successful businessmen and women.

Kingsley Anyanwu, Regional Sales Manager, NB PLC, explained that the firm wants to use the scheme to train young entrepreneurs the foundamentals of trade, customer relationship, among others.

He said that the Life Lager beer segment has decided to engage young generation of business leaders and real beer merchants that will understand the value of consistency, customer relationship and also community trust.

Ekele Eze, Corporate Affairs Manager (South), NB PLC, said that the Nwa Boi tradition represents a proven model of empowerment built on mentorship, trust, and enterprise.

He noted that Life Lager has always shared a strong bond with the people of the South East, not just as a product, but as a brand that understands identity, aspiration, and progress.

By celebrating Nwa Boi, Eze said that the brand is recognising a cultural system that represents perseverance, growth, and the pursuit of a better future

He said that Life Lager tends to get young people, who are business minded and urged interested persons to pitch ideas to the company, detailing how they want to sell beer differently.

Hesaid that 30 applicants with the best ideas, would be selected and attached to the biggest distributors of NB PLC across the South-East region for training.

“These  people will be trained for a period of about six months to learn how to relate with customers, and learn how beer marketing works and within that period, there’s going to be better relationship between the master and the young entrepreneurs, who are ready to go into beer merchandise.

“At the end of the six month, we will check their performance, based on sales volume, confidence, customer service, mechanics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that we set out, to reward the best.

“However, everybody will be rewarded, but one thing that is most important is that at the end of the day, they’ll become better than they were. And the goal for us is that most of them will become the biggest generation of entrepreneurs in the South-East”, Eze said.

In an effort to strengthen Life Lager’s cultural connection in the South East, the brand is spotlighting the Nwa Boi spirit, a powerful symbol of resilience, ambition, and the Igbo apprenticeship tradition that has shaped generations of entrepreneurs across the region.

Nwa Boi represents more than a stage in the journey; it reflects discipline, loyalty, learning, and the determination to grow into leadership and success. From the markets of Aba to business hubs across Nigeria and beyond, the Nwa Boi system continues to drive economic empowerment, community development, and cultural pride.

By celebrating this tradition, Life Lager aligns with the aspiration of raising beer merchants of the future, empowering the next generation of business leaders, who will continue to grow the trade, strengthen community ties, and uphold the values of trust, partnership, and shared prosperity.

Through this narrative, Life Lager honours the mindset of progress, the importance of mentorship, and the enduring spirit that continues to shape the South-East story.