Civil Documents FAQ

Yes. The National Population Commission runs a late-registration route for adults who were never registered at birth. You need a sworn affidavit of birth, evidence from parents or close relatives where available, and corroborating documents like baptismal records or old school records. The route is real and used regularly by passport applicants. It takes longer than newborn registration and involves a fee that increases with age.

No. Customary and religious marriages are recognised under Nigerian law, and many couples never have a statutory court marriage. A court (Marriage Act) marriage gives you a single national certificate that embassies and foreign authorities recognise easily. Couples planning to apply for a spousal visa, inheritance proceedings abroad or joint property registration usually prefer a court marriage for this reason.

Most affidavits are sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths at a Nigerian High Court. The Commissioner reviews the wording, takes your oath, signs and stamps the affidavit. Magistrate court Commissioners can swear certain affidavits, but for serious documents (loss of identity papers, change of name, age declaration) most agencies expect a High Court Commissioner. The fee is set by the court. (TODO: verify current standard fee range.)

The notification of birth is issued by the hospital or attendant immediately after a birth, and it records that the birth occurred. The birth certificate is then issued by the National Population Commission and is the official civil-status document used for passport, school admission and inheritance. Most agencies require the NPC birth certificate, not the hospital notification.

It depends on the case. The Nigerian Immigration Service prefers a real NPC birth certificate or adult birth certificate. It will sometimes accept a sworn affidavit of age declaration where no birth record exists, especially for older applicants. Younger applicants are increasingly expected to produce an NPC document, and the affidavit alone is rejected. Start with the certificate route where possible.

Minor corrections from NPC's own records (typing errors, transposed letters) are handled at the NPC office where the certificate was issued, on application and with supporting identification. Substantive changes (a different name, a materially different date of birth) require a court order before NPC will issue a corrected certificate. A correction on the birth certificate will then need to flow through NIN and passport records too.

Death registration is normally done by the deceased's spouse, child, parent or another close relative, supported by the hospital's medical certification of cause of death where the death occurred in a hospital. NPC issues the death certificate after registration. Banks, pension administrators and the probate registry usually want a certified copy of the NPC death certificate, not just the hospital paper.

In Nigeria, divorce is granted by the High Court after proceedings under the Matrimonial Causes Act. The decree absolute is the final order, and you obtain a certified true copy from the registry of the same High Court that heard the matter. You will need your case number, your identification and, where applicable, evidence of the original marriage. Probate or visa officers typically want the certified copy.

No. NigeriaHowTo is independent and never issues birth certificates, marriage certificates, affidavits or any other civil document. Genuine documents come only from NPC, the Marriage Registry, the High Court or the LGA registry. Anyone offering to deliver a birth certificate without going through NPC is selling a fake, and using a fake at the passport office is a separate criminal offence.