Nigeria: Corporate and Company Law

Nigeria has emerged as a critical hub for venture capital and corporate expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet success hinges on understanding the complex regulatory framework introduced by CAMA 2020...

The enactment of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (“CAMA 2020”) introduced a significant development in Nigerian corporate law by permitting the incorporation of private companies with a single shareholder1. This represented a departure from the position under the repealed Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990, which required every company to have a minimum of two shareholders.

The Court of Appeal has resolved a critical question that has persisted since CAMA 2020's enactment: whether private companies incorporated before the new legislation can operate with a single shareholder. This landmark decision clarifies the availability of the single-shareholder structure for all private companies, regardless of their incorporation date, offering significant implications for corporate ownership flexibility in Nigeria.

Lagos State is one of Nigeria’s most active gaming markets, covering online sports betting, lottery, casino, promotional competitions, gaming machines, pools betting, scratch cards, interactive games, remote gaming and other related gaming activities.

Whether you need help with company registration, real estate transactions, litigation, debt recovery, intellectual property protection, tax compliance, family law, employment matters, immigration, or regulatory approvals, the quality of legal representation you receive can significantly affect the outcome of your matter.

Festus Onyia, Mesuabari Mene-Josiah, Titilola Olatunde-Fasogbon, and Michael Ugah from Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie's Dispute Resolution team examine Nigeria's National Policy on Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), 2024 in the 2026 edition of The Middle Eastern and African Arbitration Review. The publication explores how this ambitious policy aims to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance governmental participation in arbitration, and position Nigeria as Africa's leading arbitration hub.

If you want to operate an online sports betting business in Lagos State, you must obtain the appropriate license from the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) before launch. Investors planning to set-up online sports betting business in Nigeria should prepare for incorporation, minimum share capital, a detailed business plan, technical platform documentation, due diligence, and payment of the applicable license fees.

Nigeria’s tax landscape has undergone a fundamental shift with the enactment of the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 (“NTA”), which took effect on 1st January, 2026. For the first time, the country’s core federal tax laws have been consolidated into a single and unified framework. For dealmakers, this is more than a legislative clean-up; it also changes how transactions are structured, priced, and executed.

Nigeria's non-oil economy demonstrated robust growth of 4.07% in Q4 2025, with agriculture, real estate, construction, and manufacturing leading the expansion. This analysis examines the corporate-commercial implications of this economic momentum and the increasingly structured regulatory environment shaping business operations. The piece explores three key developments from 2025 that are particularly significant for boards, investors, and in-house counsel navigating Nigeria's evolving business landscape.