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Doing Business in Nigeria: A Legal Checklist
Six areas every founder, director and investor should have in order, set out plainly by the lawyers at Debo Akande LLP, a Lagos firm in practice since 1985.
Free guide
Doing Business in Nigeria
A Legal Checklist · 2026 edition
Inside the guide
Six things to get right
01
Setting up correctly
Registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, choosing a structure, and keeping up with annual returns.
02
Tax registration and VAT
Obtaining a Tax Identification Number, registering for VAT where it applies, and filing and remitting on time.
03
Employing people
Written terms of employment, workplace policies and pension contributions, and what to do before a dispute arises.
04
Protecting personal data
What the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 expects when you collect customer and staff information.
05
Buying or leasing property
Searches and title checks before you commit, and the consents that property transactions can require.
06
Contracts and disputes
Dispute resolution and arbitration clauses that hold up, and your options under the Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023.
Who it is for
- Founders setting up or formalising a company in Nigeria
- Directors reviewing their company’s compliance
- Foreign investors entering the Nigerian market
- Business owners taking on staff, premises or new contracts
Who wrote it
Debo Akande LLP is a boutique commercial and litigation firm founded in 1985 by Chief Adebowale Durojaiye Akande (SAN), with matters litigated up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The guide is general information, not legal advice for your situation.
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