Building a Generational Bridge in Africa

Women in Family Business

Nike Anani did not plan on dedicating her life to the family business segment in Africa. Fate, it would seem, chose for her.

Nike is the founder and CEO of Nike Anani Practice, Ltd., in Lagos, Nigeria, where she helps second-generation family business members collaborate with the founding generation in an effort to build sustainable family enterprises in the region. No more than 2 per cent of African family businesses successfully transition power to the second generation, and Nike has made it her mission to facilitate this generational merge.

Family business has always been central in Nike’s daily life. Her parents were in their twenties when she was born and wanted to give their newborn a better life. They decided that launching a business was the best way to do so.

When she was nine, the family relocated from Nigeria to the UK, where Nike spent her formative years. After graduating university with a degree in Economics, she began working at Deloitte. While she loved her colleagues, she found the work itself dull. Her true destiny was beckoning, and she could not ignore the call any longer.

Nike returned home to Nigeria for what was meant to be a three-month break from work. More than a decade later, she is still there. After working in her family’s business for several years, she decided to follow her passion for helping other African next-gens, like herself, and thus created the Nike Anani Practice.

Women in Family Business sat down with Nike Anani to discuss the specific appeal of working with next-gens, the factors in Africa’s low succession rate and how the unique cultural landscape of Africa impacts family business development.