Nigeria: Corporate and Company Law

A pattern is emerging, one where private-owned monies are being diverted for public borrowing without the notice or express consent of the legal owners. In August 2026, President Bola Tinubu proposed the use of unclaimed dividends and dormant accounts funds to fund the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (“NELFUND”). Dr. Maruf Alausa, the Minister of Education, informed the public that cross ministerial efforts have commenced between the Ministries of Education, Finance and office of the Attorney-General of the Federation towards removing legal hurdles and operationalising this directive.2

The Corporate Affairs Commission has issued a renewed enforcement directive requiring companies to comply with statutory disclosure obligations under CAMA 2020. This directive brings into sharp focus the often-overlooked requirements for corporate transparency in business correspondence, raising questions about the practical implications for companies and their officers who fail to meet these standards.

Corporate financial management is often viewed as a technical discipline concerned with investment, financing, dividend policy and risk management, yet these decisions ultimately determine how corporate resources are committed, protected and deployed, making them matters of governance as much as finance.

A Lagos off-plan property development appeared ready for market with printed brochures, active construction, and growing media attention. However, when a prospective buyer's lawyer reviewed the title documents, fundamental legal issues emerged that the developer had never anticipated, ultimately costing them the sale and revealing how inadequate legal foundations can undermine even the most promising real estate projects.

Nigeria's Revenue Service has issued comprehensive guidelines establishing a uniform framework for taxing virtual assets and cryptocurrency transactions. The new rules adopt a substance-over-form approach, focusing on the economic nature of digital asset transactions rather than their technical labels. These guidelines clarify tax treatment, compliance obligations, and administrative procedures for all persons engaged in virtual asset activities under Nigerian law.

Nigeria's merger approval framework has evolved from a fragmented system under CAMA 2020 and ISA 2007 to a comprehensive competition-based regime under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. This analysis examines whether the Corporate Affairs Commission could have administered competition reviews, why sector regulators retain parallel jurisdiction, and what institutional reforms would resolve the resulting coordination challenges.

Corporate governance in Nigeria hinges on effective representation at shareholder meetings, where critical decisions shape a company's future. When shareholders cannot attend in person...

The Corporate Affairs Commission has set a firm deadline for Nigerian companies to comply with mandatory disclosure requirements on all business correspondence. With enforcement beginning in August 2026, businesses must ensure their letters, invoices, and official documents display specific company information or face daily penalties and potential director liability.

The Nigerian Communications Commission and Corporate Affairs Commission have jointly established a mandatory prior approval framework for telecom share transfers.