Succession Planning Effectiveness and Leadership Continuity in Nigerian Commercial Banks

This study evaluates the effectiveness of succession planning frameworks and their contribution to leadership continuity in Nigerian commercial banks, with particular reference to Access Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa in Lagos State. Leadership transitions in banking organizations are high-stakes events, and the adequacy of succession plans has direct implications for shareholder value, regulatory confidence, and staff stability. A professional case study design was adopted, drawing on interviews with 55 senior executives, HR directors, and board members, supplemented by document analysis of publicly available board succession policies. The study applies the Talent Pipeline Model and Rothwell's Succession Planning Framework. Findings reveal that banks with proactive succession planning, including identified successors at CEO, executive director, and head of department levels, demonstrate smoother leadership transitions with fewer productivity dips and less stakeholder anxiety compared to those relying on reactive emergency appointments. The study identifies board-level commitment, transparent internal talent identification, and regular readiness assessments as the three most critical success factors in effective succession programs. Gender representation in succession pipelines is found to be disproportionately low, with women accounting for fewer than 25 percent of identified successors for senior roles. Recommendations include mandatory board oversight of succession plans, integration of succession metrics into annual reporting to the Central Bank of Nigeria, and gender equity targets for succession candidate pools. This study contributes to banking governance and strategic HR literature. Keywords: succession planning, leadership continuity, commercial banks, talent pipeline, Nigeria