Abstract
This study examines the determinants of business failure among Igbo entrepreneurs in South-East
Nigeria, with particular emphasis on informal business structures, succession planning, and
record-keeping practices. Despite the strong entrepreneurial culture and dominance of Igbo
entrepreneurs in commercial activities, many businesses fail to survive beyond the founding
generation. The study adopts a descriptive and explanatory research design, utilizing primary data
collected from 300 respondents through structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using
correlation and multiple regression techniques. The findings reveal that informal business
structures are highly prevalent and have a significant negative effect on business survival, while
succession planning and record-keeping practices have significant positive effects on
sustainability. The regression results indicate that the model explains 65.9% of the variation in
business survival, highlighting the critical role of internal organizational factors. The study further
establishes that record-keeping serves as a mediating mechanism, enhancing decision-making and
financial management, while weak succession systems and informality contribute to structural
inefficiencies. The study concludes that business failure among Igbo entrepreneurs is primarily
driven by internal managerial and structural deficiencies rather than external environmental
constraints. It recommends the formalization of business structures, implementation of structured
succession planning, improvement in record-keeping systems, and capacity building for
entrepreneurs. The study contributes to knowledge by developing an integrated framework linking
informal structures, succession planning, and record-keeping to business sustainability within the
context of indigenous entrepreneurship.