The Igbo apprentice system has been an age-long process that assists in reproducing business and entrepreneurship in the national economy. Unfortunately, culture has made women face discrimination and gender inequalities owing to gender-based relations in society. Men appear to go into apprenticeship more than women, especially in professions such as engineering, trading, and other physically related sectors. As a result, women tend to face higher rates of unemployment and poverty. This study engaged grounded theory method in qualitative study to elicit responses from the respondents. The study population was made up of sixty masters and madams of trades from Anambra, Lagos, and Abia states in Nigeria. They were chosen using the snowball sampling method. The findings showed that female residential apprenticeships lack cultural support and are often not considered for settlement. Additionally, people perceive the cultural rejection of female residential apprenticeships and economic roles as aligning with nurturing roles. The study recommends that the culture of not allowing women to be engaged in certain skill acquisition through apprenticeship should be played down by families to enable women to participate in this wealth creation model. © 2025, Adonis and Abbey Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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