Iyke Bede
More than 70 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria were family businesses, contributing close to 50 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, according to a 2024 report by PwC Nigeria.
The issue will form part of discussions at the 2026 Family Business Summit, scheduled to hold from October 15 to 17 under the theme, ‘Beyond the Founder: Scaling Family Businesses Across Generations’.
The summit will focus on succession, governance, leadership, capital and innovation, as family-owned businesses consider how to sustain operations beyond their founders and prepare the next generation for leadership.
The Convener, Founder, My Family My Business, Oghenevwoke Ighure, said the discussions would examine the decisions required to support the continuity and development of family-owned businesses.
“We are looking at what it takes to have the difficult and necessary conversations around succession, governance, leadership, capital and innovation before they become challenges. We want this Summit to be a space where families do not just talk about legacy, but actively consider what it takes to build businesses that can carry that legacy forward,” he said.
Organised by My Family My Business in partnership with PwC Nigeria and BusinessDay, the event will include a conference programme, a Family Business Deal Room and a NextGen Bootcamp.
Speakers listed for the event include the Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill Denham, Bolaji Balogun; Country Senior Partner, PwC Nigeria and Regional Senior Partner, West Market, Sam Abu; Founder, House of Tara and author of ‘Building Beyond You’, Tara Fela-Durotoye; and Partner and Africa Family Business Leader, PwC Nigeria, Esiri Agbeyi, among others.