Guides and articles on Nigerian documents
Short, plain answers on the paperwork Nigerians and Nigerian businesses deal with: what a document is, what it costs at the agency, the steps, and the mistakes that send people back. Every fee links to its source. For the long reads, see our in-depth guides and free tools.
Browse by reader
For Nigerians abroad
Guides for Nigerians abroad: passports, NIN fixes, police certificates, affidavits sworn abroad and running a Nigerian business from overseas.
All 56 articlesFor business owners
Guides for Nigerian business owners: CAC registration and annual returns, NRS tax, PAYE for employers, tender certificates and other SME regulators.
All 270 articlesBrowse by topic
Registering and running a company with the CAC
Plain answers on registering a business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and keeping the record right afterwards: names, directors, shares, addresses and the documents banks and tender desks ask for.
- Closing a business name: the process and CAC's fee
- Adding or removing a partner on a business name
- The full cost of registering a business name in Nigeria
CAC annual returns, deadlines and penalties
Every registered company and business name files an annual return with the CAC. These articles cover the deadlines, the fees, the penalties that now reach directors too, and how to get back on the register.
- CAC's July 2026 notice: 100,000 companies face strike-off
- Why did the business name annual return fee rise?
- How much is the CAC annual return penalty for a public company?
NRS (formerly FIRS) tax for businesses
The Federal Inland Revenue Service became the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) on 1 January 2026, and TaxPro Max gave way to Rev360. These articles explain what changed, what stayed the same, and how to stay clear with the tax authority.
- What it costs to file or pay company income tax late
- E-invoicing for small businesses: the later date
- What a late tax return costs you now
PAYE, personal income tax and state tax
Employees and employers both feel the new tax bands that started in January 2026. These articles walk through PAYE, the reliefs that remain, state revenue services and the individual tax clearance certificate.
- The penalty for missing your state tax return deadline
- What happens if your employer doesn't remit your PAYE?
- Personal income tax for the self-employed in Nigeria
Tender compliance certificates
Government and corporate tenders ask for a stack of certificates that expire every year. These articles explain what each certificate proves, who needs it and how to keep the pack current before the bid deadline.
- Which employers must register with the NSITF?
- How long is an NSITF compliance certificate valid?
- What happens if a bid declaration to BPP is false?
Other regulators Nigerian businesses meet
Beyond the CAC and the tax authority, a growing business meets other regulators: SCUML for some sectors, the data protection commission, the trademarks registry and product regulators. These articles explain who needs what.
- Does your business need a data protection officer?
- What is a Data Protection Compliance Organisation (DPCO)?
- Free CAC business name registration through SMEDAN
NIN and NIMC services
Your National Identification Number (NIN) now sits behind your passport, your bank account, your SIM and even your Tax ID. These articles cover corrections, slips, common errors and what each change costs.
- Which NIMC services are free, and where do the fees start?
- NIN, BVN and Tax ID: three numbers, three jobs
- Tax ID lookup says no match: fix the NIN details behind it
Nigerian passport renewal and applications
Passport fees and steps changed in 2025, and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) now starts every application online. These articles cover renewals, first passports, lost passports, children and applying from abroad.
- The NIS UK passport intervention exercise, 2026
- What Nigeria's enhanced e-passport actually changed
- What to do if you miss your passport appointment
Police character certificates and reports
Embassies, employers and immigration authorities ask for a police character certificate more often than people expect. These articles explain the process, the fingerprint visit, validity and related police documents.
- What is the eCMR vehicle certificate from the police
- How to report a stolen vehicle online to the police
- The CMRIS portal: registering your vehicle with the police
Driver's licence and vehicle papers
Your driver's licence and your vehicle papers renew on different clocks and come from different offices. These articles cover each paper, what it costs, and how to keep them all current.
- Driver's licence classes in Nigeria, explained
- The Lagos roadworthiness certificate, explained
- Which documents should a private car owner carry?
Affidavits, change of name and court documents
Banks, schools, embassies and agencies ask for sworn affidavits all the time. These articles explain each common affidavit, where it is sworn, what it costs and what to do after, such as a newspaper notice.
- The FCT High Court's e-affidavit portal: VARMS
- The change of name affidavit after divorce
- The Federal High Court's e-affidavit portal explained
Life events and filing from abroad
Marriage, a move abroad, a lost wallet: life events trigger a chain of document updates. These articles map the order to do things in and which documents depend on which.
- NPC's VitalReg switch: what actually changed
- Running a Nigerian company from abroad: what stays due
- Is birth registration free for children under five?
Latest articles
CAC annual returns
CAC's July 2026 notice: 100,000 companies face strike-off
CAC strike off notice: on 15 Jul 2026, CAC named 100,000 companies and gave them 90 days to file all outstanding returns.
2 min read
NRS tax
What it costs to file or pay company income tax late
Company income tax late filing penalty in Nigeria: fixed monthly penalties, plus a separate charge and daily interest for paying late.
2 min read
NRS tax
E-invoicing for small businesses: the later date
E-invoicing for small businesses in Nigeria: the emerging-taxpayer threshold and start date, and whether a VAT-exempt business is affected at all.
2 min read
PAYE and state tax
The penalty for missing your state tax return deadline
The penalty for missing your state tax return deadline starts at ₦100,000 for the first month, then grows every month after.
2 min read
NRS tax
What a late tax return costs you now
Tax return late filing penalty in Nigeria: a return that misses its deadline now costs a fixed amount for the first month, and more for each after.
3 min read
NRS tax
The VAT late filing penalty in Nigeria
VAT late filing penalty in Nigeria: the cost for the first month and each month after, plus separate penalties for paying the VAT itself late.
2 min read
PAYE and state tax
What happens if your employer doesn't remit your PAYE?
What happens if an employer doesn't remit PAYE: the penalty and interest the law sets out, and how the shortfall can still reach the employee.
2 min read
NIN and NIMC
Which NIMC services are free, and where do the fees start?
Free NIMC services: standard enrolment is free, so is a NINAuth slip download, but corrections, reissues and USSD retrieval carry a fee.
3 min read
NIN and NIMC
NIN, BVN and Tax ID: three numbers, three jobs
The difference between NIN, BVN and Tax ID: NIMC issues the NIN, banks use the BVN, and the Tax ID is linked to your NIN. See which to fix first.
3 min read