Meristem Unveils Nigeria’s Family Wealth Report 2026

Kayode Tokede

Meristem Family Office, one of the subsidiaries of Meristem Securities Limited, yesterday unveiled its inaugural Nigeria family wealth report 2026.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Group Managing Director, Meristem Securities Limited, Mr. Sulaiman Adedokun, expressed that the unveiling of the report represents the beginning of an important conversation about wealth, legacy and the future of family prosperity in Nigeria and across Africa.

According to him, the firm’s most transformative purpose is to advance the financial wellbeing of its clients.

“Financial wellbeing is about how you create, preserve and transfer of wealth in a way that brings about peace of mind for our clients. Wealth is not just about accumulation. The true wealth is about stewardship, preserving value across generations, creating opportunities for future family members and building legacies that endure beyond a single lifetime”

He expressed that the Meristem Family report was conceived to provide insight into these realities, stressing that the organization has a responsibility to its clients to provide that insight that enables them to take action.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, Meristem Family Office , Kemi Ojenike stated that many successful businesses remain closely tied to the founder’s judgment, relationships, credibility, and authority.

According to her, the survey by Meristem Family Office disclosed that operating businesses and real estate appeared among the top two asset holdings for 80per cent of surveyed families.

She revealed that these assets require active management, clear ownership, reliable records, and a plan for leadership and ownership transition.

She explained further that, “Founder dependence remains a major concern. 40 per cent of respondents identified too much dependence on the founder as a risk to long-term continuity, while only 20per cent reported having a clear written succession plan.”

Ojenike noted that Nigeria has seen the growth of family-owned businesses, founder-led companies, real estate portfolios, investment assets, and private enterprises that have created jobs and contributed to economic activity over many years.

“The real test comes when leadership changes, family interests evolve, markets shift, or the founder can no longer carry every major decision. At that point, the issue is whether the business, assets, relationships, and responsibilities have been prepared to continue,”she said.

The report by the firm, however, urged families to begin these conversations before they become urgent.

“This includes deciding whether a business should continue, transform, professionalise, partially exit, or be sold; clarifying ownership and decision-making; preparing younger family members for responsibility; and ensuring that assets are properly documented and structured.

“Succession is therefore broader than choosing who takes over. It involves preparing people, preserving institutional knowledge, managing ownership expectations, and ensuring stability through transition.”

According to her, the report also introduced the idea of Complete Wealth.

“Lasting wealth depends on more than businesses, property, cash, or investments. It also depends on capable people, transferable knowledge, lived values, disciplined financial management, and a clear sense of purpose.

“This is especially relevant for the next generation. Many younger family members are globally educated, internationally exposed, and pursuing careers different from those of their parents. Their distance from the family business need not mean disinterest, but it requires deliberate engagement.

“The Survey found that 40per cent of respondents described the next generation as mostly focused on its own path, while business exposure and mentorship emerged as leading ways to strengthen readiness.

“Family wealth is also operating in a changing environment. Currency pressure, tax and regulatory developments, technology, talent shortages, global mobility, and opportunities beyond Nigeria are affecting how families preserve and deploy capital.”

She added that the Nigeria Family Wealth Report 2026 calls for earlier action around governance, succession, next-generation readiness, asset organisation, and long-term family

purpose.

“It invites founders, family business leaders, advisers, policymakers, and institutions to consider what must be put in place now for today’s success to remain useful tomorrow,” she said.