Succession Planning and Organisational Continuity in Nigerian Family-Owned Businesses: A Study of Selected Firms in Aba, Abia State

This study examines the practice of succession planning and its implications for organisational continuity in family-owned businesses in Aba, Abia State, South East Nigeria. Aba is one of Nigeria's most prominent commercial hubs, home to a dense ecosystem of family enterprises spanning textiles, manufacturing, and trade. Many of these businesses face existential continuity risks arising from the absence of formalised succession frameworks, particularly during generational ownership transitions. The study adopts a case study design with survey elements, collecting primary data from 90 owners, successors, and senior managers across fifteen family businesses using structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The study draws on Longenecker and Schoen's Succession Stage Model as its theoretical framework. Findings reveal that the majority of sampled firms operate without documented succession plans, relying instead on informal family agreements and elder mandates that frequently generate conflict and operational instability. Businesses that have formalised succession processes, even minimally, demonstrate markedly better organisational continuity indicators, including stable revenue trajectories and lower leadership transition costs. The study also identifies gender bias in succession selection, with female family members consistently overlooked in favour of male relatives regardless of competence. Recommendations include adopting structured succession planning templates, engaging independent governance advisors, and challenging gender norms in leadership selection. This study contributes HRM evidence from Nigeria's South East commercial heartland. Keywords: Succession Planning, Family Business, Organisational Continuity, Aba, SMEs.