Nigeria: Contracts and Commercial Law

Equipment leasing has emerged as a vital source of asset finance for Nigerian businesses seeking access to vehicles, machinery, technology and other productive assets without substantial upfront costs. The Equipment Leasing Act 2015 established the Equipment Leasing Registration Authority and introduced a comprehensive statutory framework for regulating equipment leasing activities in Nigeria.

TotalEnergies and AMNI have taken the Final Investment Decision on Nigeria's Ima Gas Project, a development 53 years in the making that will supply critical feed gas to Nigeria LNG's Train 7 expansion. Between FID and first gas in 2028, the project faces complex legal obligations spanning financing conditions, gas sales agreements, construction contracts, Nigerian content compliance, host community trusts, flaring regulations, and tax incentives that must all hold up in practice.

Nigerian port investments demand rigorous legal due diligence beyond cargo volumes and concession terms. From land title verification under multiple overlapping regimes to navigating the new NPERA regulatory framework, investors must understand what they're actually acquiring—whether it's freehold title, a lease, or operational rights under a BOOT concession that reverts to government at term end.

For nearly two decades, drilling operators in Nigeria have been fighting the same argument in different courtrooms: is an offshore drilling rig a “vessel” under the Cabotage Act, or not? Noble Drilling first raised the question at the Federal High Court back in 2008 and won, only for the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision on a technicality, leaving the real question unsettled for the industry ever since.

Nigeria holds the largest proven natural gas reserves in Africa. In January 2026, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) declared national gas reserves of 215.19 trillion cubic feet as the official reserves position — up from 210.54 trillion cubic feet a year earlier, and comfortably ahead of Algeria and Egypt. Yet gas shortages continue to constrain electricity generation across the country, while the nation simultaneously pursues expanded liquefied natural gas (LNG) export ambitions.

The Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025 has introduced a more stringent framework for claims settlement, with stronger financial and regulatory consequences for unreasonable delay. This thought leadership article examines how NIIRA 2025 affects the proof of insurer misconduct and the remedies available to policyholders, focusing specifically on unreasonable delay in claims settlement and the significant changes from the previous Insurance Act 2003.

Navigating debt recovery in Nigeria demands sophisticated knowledge of local commercial realities and an evolving statutory landscape. This guide examines the regulatory framework, procedural pathways, enforcement mechanisms, and the critical impact of insolvency proceedings on creditor rights and recovery strategies.

Nigeria's fuel market is undergoing a major transformation as the Dangote Refinery expands domestic refining capacity, raising critical questions about market dominance, fair competition, and regulatory compliance. This analysis examines how competition law applies to the country's evolving petroleum industry and what businesses, investors, and fuel marketers need to understand about pricing practices, market access, and the legal boundaries between legitimate market leadership and potential abuse of domina

Foreign companies entering Nigeria's market face enormous legal risks from poorly drafted cross-border contracts. Two major disputes—one worth US$11 billion and another US$6.2 million—reveal how ambiguous delivery clauses, weak dispute resolution provisions, and inadequate due diligence transform routine agreements into catastrophic arbitration battles. Understanding these costly mistakes before signing can save businesses billions and years of litigation.