Succession planning among palm oil farmers in Nigeria

ABSTRACT This article assesses palm oil farmers’ succession planning in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. A multi-stage procedure was used to select 169 farmers in Delta, Edo, Rivers and Cross River states. Data analysis presents descriptive and inferential statistics. Results further prior research showing most African farmers are male, with women excluded due to economic land inheritance practices. Medium-scale agricultural entrepreneurs operated as sole proprietors. The majority were full-time palm oil farmers, and most chose and engaged their successors. Plantation farm ownership status, farming status, level of formal education, farm size, farming experience, monthly farm income, ownership of palm processing facilities, level of motivation, notably intrinsic motivation to farm, and perceptions of succession planning affected farmers’ decision to embark on succession planning. Findings are contextualised in global research literature and recommendations to guide future agriculture policymaking are offered.