Guidance

Nigeria: Knowledge Base profile

Published 8 May 2024

Version 3.0

About: Nigeria

This document contains useful information about Nigeria which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email HM Passport Office’s Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0

• published for Home Office staff on 1 May 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Nigeria: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Nigeria.

Names given and used in Nigeria depends on the religion and ethnic origin of the parents. Children can be given a combination of traditional Nigerian names and western names.

Names in Nigeria consist of:

• 1 or more personal forenames

• father’s forename (if they are Muslim)

• surname

Where a child has multiple forenames, these may be used inconsistently, with some of the names shortened, switched or omitted (for example in a Nigeria e-passport). Family names are not shortened.

The Nigeria e-Passport contains a maximum of 26 characters (including spaces and hyphens) for a person’s name. If the holder’s names exceed 26 characters the full name will not be shown.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Nigeria.

When a woman marries she can:

• take her husband’s surname; or,

• take her husband’s first forename and combine it with his family name to make a new double-barrelled family name for herself

When changing a name by deed poll, the name needs to be declared in person, in a Nigeria court with an affidavit. Once the name is accepted by the court the identity card and passport can be updated.

Name alignment

Passports can be aligned:

• in Nigeria

• online if resident in any other country (if the name is changed by marriage or divorce, or has been agreed by the Nigeria court and the customer has all the required documents)

• in person at an Embassy (if the name has changed by marriage or divorce only)

Nigeria: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Nigeria.

Dual nationality is recognised in Nigeria.

Nigeria: legitimacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Nigeria.

Legitimacy

Nigeria recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child will be considered:

• legitimate:

  • from birth if they are born to married parents

  • if on the date of the marriage, the father was domiciled in Nigeria, (if the marriage was considered legal in Nigeria)

  • if on the date of the marriage the father is not domiciled in Nigeria, but the law of the country where the father was domiciled recognises the concept of subsequent legitimation by statutory marriage

• illegitimate if they are born to:

  • unmarried parents

  • parents whose marriage is not recognised by Nigeria law

  • fathers who do not fit the requirements for legitimation under subsequent marriage

  • unmarried parents who later marry under native law and customs

Nigeria: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Nigeria.

Adoption is allowed in Nigeria.

Nigeria: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Nigeria.

There are no laws governing surrogacy in Nigeria.

Nigeria: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Nigeria.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Nigeria.

Nigeria: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Nigeria.

Same sex relationships and civil partnerships are not recognised in Nigeria.

Opposite sex marriage in Nigeria

Marriages in Nigeria can be contracted under:

• native law and customs

• Islamic law

• Christian law

• civil law

Native law and customs

Native law and customs allow polygamy, provided the husband’s existing marriages are under native law and customs. If either party is already in a statutory marriage, any subsequent marriage will not be valid (while the statutory marriage continues).

The president of a customary court can annul a marriage contracted only under native law and customs.

Customary marriage registration is not compulsory in Nigeria. Several states in Nigeria have made laws permitting customary marriages to be registered by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Where customary law marriages are celebrated in such states, the parties may be required to produce a certificate from the Registrar as proof of the marriage they contracted.

Polyandry is not permitted under native law and customs.

Proxy marriage is recognised according to native law.

Islamic law

Nigeria recognises marriages performed under Islamic Sharia Law. These are not recorded by state registrars. Nigeria recognises polygamous marriages conducted under Sharia law provided the parties are not currently in a marriage registered with a Registrar under the Marriage Act.

Civil and Christian law

Marriages in a federal register office (civil) or a Christian church are legally recognised.

Nigeria: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Nigeria.

Nigeria authorities do not laminate documents.

Birth certificates

Prior to July 1988, the registration of births was a function of local government.

From July 1988, the registration of births and deaths has been the responsibility of the National Population Commission (NPC). All births must be registered with the NPC in the state they were born, where a birth certificate will be issued.

Replacement birth certificates can be obtained.

If a mistake is identified on a certificate, it will be corrected and reissued.

The NPC may issue Attestations of Birth, which are different to a standard birth certificate. An Attestation of Birth will be issued to people over the age of 18 years whose birth was not registered.

Hospital notification records exist, and the parents may be given a certificate or letter confirming the birth. Hospitals maintain birth registers that parents can get copies of.

Marriage certificates

Marriage certificates for civil or registered marriages can be issued by either a:

• Federal Registrar

• registrar of the local government where the marriage takes place

If the original marriage certificate is lost, only the Federal Registrar can issue a certified copy to replace it.

There is no law in Nigeria which makes the registration of customary or Islamic marriages compulsory, unlike a civil or Christian marriage which requires registration under the Marriage Act. Several states in Nigeria have made laws permitting customary marriages to be registered by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Civil or Christian marriage certificates include a column headed ‘condition’, where the registrar should record whether the bride and groom are bachelor / spinster, divorced, widowed. Entries in this column which state ‘same husband’ and ‘same wife’ denote that the couple have already married under native law and customs.

Marriage certificates for an Islamic marriage will be issued by the mosque; these may be in English or Arabic.

Death certificates

All deaths must be reported to the National Population Commission (NPC) within 24 hours of the death. Late registrations are allowed.

Identity documents

There are 3 types of identity card issued in Nigeria. These are:

• National identity number cards (NIN) to Nigerian citizens

• Combined Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) to foreign nationals, resident in Nigeria

• voters registration cards

NIN cards can be updated outside of Nigeria and match the personal details on the passport exactly.

Nigeria issues biometric passports to its citizens. These are identified by the ECOWAS logo and the biometric symbol on the front cover.

The Nigeria e-Passport contains a maximum of 26 characters (including spaces and hyphens) for a person’s name.