Strategic Planning Gaps and Business Failure Among SMEs in Maiduguri, Borno State

This study investigates the relationship between strategic planning gaps and business failure rates among small and medium enterprises in Maiduguri, Borno State. The North East geopolitical zone has faced prolonged insecurity challenges that have severely disrupted the business environment, making strategic planning a particularly critical but neglected function. The research adopts a descriptive survey design, targeting business owners and managers of SMEs that have operated for at least two years in Maiduguri. A total of 75 respondents were selected through convenient and snowball sampling methods. Structured questionnaires and informal interviews were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. Findings indicate that the majority of business failures in the sampled population are associated with the absence of formal strategic plans, particularly in the areas of contingency planning, financial projection, and risk management. SMEs with written strategic plans, even basic ones, demonstrate significantly lower failure rates than those relying solely on intuitive decision-making. The study also identifies limited access to strategic management education and advisory services as root causes of the planning gap. The research concludes that targeted strategic management support programs are urgently needed for SMEs in conflict-affected zones like Maiduguri. Keywords: strategic planning, business failure, SMEs, Maiduguri, risk management.