Succession Planning and Organisational Continuity in Family-Owned Businesses in Abeokuta, Ogun State

This study investigates the relationship between succession planning practices and organisational continuity in family-owned businesses in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State in Nigeria's South West geopolitical zone. Family businesses constitute a significant proportion of Nigeria's private sector, yet many face existential threats at generational transition points due to inadequate succession management. This research employs a descriptive survey design with data gathered from 95 family business owners and successors through structured questionnaires and informal interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. The study examines succession planning components including successor identification, competency development planning, formal succession documentation, and stakeholder communication. Findings reveal that businesses with formal succession plans and documented succession timelines demonstrate significantly higher organisational continuity rates during leadership transitions compared to those with purely informal succession arrangements. Successor competency development planning was found to be the most neglected succession dimension, with many families relying on passive learning rather than structured development programmes. The study also identifies sibling rivalry and resistance from founding patriarchs or matriarchs as the primary human factors disrupting succession processes. Recommendations include engaging professional management consultants in succession planning, formalising competency frameworks for successors, and introducing family governance charters. Keywords: succession planning, organisational continuity, family business, Ogun State, leadership transition.