Operating in Nigeria
What it actually takes to register, license and run a business here — the steps, the agency responsible for each one, the documents you need and how long it takes.
Most answers to these questions circulate as hearsay, or sit behind a consultant who is reselling public information. Every step below links to the source it came from, so you can check it yourself.
Tools
What an import really costs at the port. 5 charges, each on its own basis — duty on CIF, surcharge on the duty, VAT on the accumulated total.
35 HS chapters mapped to 2 regulators. The question that decides whether a shipment clears or sits.
All procedures
Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme certification for locally manufactured products to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standard before sale/export: apply → factory inspection & testing → evaluation → certificate (valid 3 years).
Meet Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 obligations: register with NDPC, appoint a Data Protection Officer, and (if processing 2,000+ data subjects/yr) file an annual Compliance Audit Report via a licensed DPCO.
Employ an expatriate legally: obtain an Expatriate Quota (Ministry of Interior) → STR visa → enter Nigeria → CERPAC residence/work permit (Nigeria Immigration Service).
License an Internet Service Provider / telecoms service with the Nigerian Communications Commission: incorporate → FIRS tax → apply to NCC → grant.
Licensing to operate a restaurant or food-service business: CAC → Local Government food permit → food handlers' health certificates → NAFDAC Good Hygiene Practice.
Obtain a Tax Identification Number (TIN) and register for VAT with the Federal Inland Revenue Service: CAC → TIN (often auto-issued at incorporation) → VAT.
Incorporate a private limited company with the Corporate Affairs Commission under CAMA 2020: name reservation → documents & PSC → fees & stamp duty → certificate.
Protect an invention at the Trademarks, Patents & Designs Registry (NIPO) under the Patents & Designs Act: file petition + specification & claims + drawings + inventor's declaration → formal (not substantive) examination → grant, on average ~6 months → annual renewal fees; the patent lapses 20 years from filing.
Register a food, drug, cosmetic or chemical product with NAFDAC via the NAPAMS portal: submit docs → GMP facility inspection → lab testing → committee approval → Certificate of Product Registration (valid 5 years).
Protect a brand at the Trademarks, Patents & Designs Registry: search → file via accredited agent → examination → Journal publication → opposition → certificate.
Statutory employer compliance for a business with staff: pension (PENCOM via a PFA), employee compensation (NSITF) and industrial training (ITF). Also the trio of compliance certificates needed to bid for government contracts.
License a BDC with the CBN under the 2024 Guidelines (Tier 1 or Tier 2): choose tier → Approval-in-Principle → Provisional Approval & integration → Final Approval.
License a deposit money bank with the Central Bank of Nigeria: choose the licence authorisation (regional, national or international) → deposit the minimum paid-up capital → Approval-in-Principle → final licence. Capital floors were reset in March 2024 with a 31 March 2026 compliance deadline.
License a microfinance bank with the Central Bank of Nigeria: pre-licensing presentation → Approval-in-Principle (deposit capital) → incorporate & meet conditions → CBN inspection & final licence.
License a money-lending business under a State Money Lenders Law (e.g. Lagos): incorporate & meet capital → apply to the Chief Magistrate → apply to the State Ministry of Home Affairs → annual licence.
License a payment company with the CBN: choose category (Switching, MMO, PSSP, PTSP, Super-Agent) → deposit capital & apply → Approval-in-Principle → final licence.
License a PFA with the National Pension Commission under the Pension Reform Act 2014: incorporate a dedicated company → apply & deposit capital → Approval-in-Principle → operating licence.
License a super-agent network — the entity that recruits and manages agent-banking outlets (POS agents): 12 months' trading history → ₦50m shareholders' funds escrowed with the CBN → apply → Approval-in-Principle → final licence with ≥50 agents.
License an insurance broking firm with NAICOM under NIIRA 2025: incorporate & meet fit-and-proper → apply to NAICOM → register with NCRIB → meet capital, indemnity & client-fund rules.
Register a broker, dealer, broker-dealer, issuing house or fund/portfolio manager with the Securities & Exchange Commission under the Investments and Securities Act 2025: meet the minimum capital → sponsored individuals → file with SEC → registration.
Build and operate an LPG retail/storage plant under NMDPRA's three-stage downstream regime: Licence to Establish (site suitability, 18 months) → Approval/Licence to Construct (30 months) → Licence to Operate. Distinct from a petrol filling station licence.
License a petrol filling station with NMDPRA under the PIA 2021: site suitability → Approval to Construct → build + witnessed tank test → storage & retail outlet licence.
Authorise power generation with NERC: determine the tier (register <100kW / permit 100kW-1MW / licence for embedded or larger) → prepare technical application → apply to NERC → grant.
Qualify to provide oil & gas services: incorporate & register on NCDMB's NOGIC JQS → apply for the NUPRC OGISP permit → processing → Nigerian Content compliance.
Procedure to export commercial goods from Nigeria: NEPC exporter registration → product/quality certificates (NAQS phytosanitary for produce) → Certificate of Origin → Form NXP via bank → Customs shipment → repatriate proceeds.
Import and clear a vehicle: confirm age eligibility → NCS VIN valuation → pay duty + levies (often 70-100%+ of value) → clear at port. Distinct from general goods import because of the age limit, VIN valuation, and NAC levy.
End-to-end regulatory procedure to import commercial goods into Nigeria: prohibition check → agency permits → e-Form M → SONCAP → PAAR → duty & clearance.
Obtain a Free Zone Enterprise Operating Licence (OPL) to manufacture, warehouse or trade inside a licensed Nigerian free zone: apply through zone management with a project plan → approval within ~5 working days → OPL. The licence substitutes for CAC registration, and zone enterprises are exempt from federal/state/local taxes and levies.
Certify an airline with the NCAA: pre-application (legal & financial) → formal application & manuals → inspection & demonstration flights → issuance of the AOC.
License an airport ground-handling company with the NCAA: incorporate & meet capital → prepare operational/safety/security/dangerous-goods manuals → apply to the DG → licence + annual audits.
Register a drone (≥250 g) and, for commercial use, obtain an RPAS operating permit from the NCAA via the RPAS portal.
License commercial-scale water abstraction/borehole drilling under the Water Resources Act: confirm a permit is needed → engage an accredited driller → apply to NIWRMC/state water agency → permit.
Get a NESREA Waste & Toxic Substances permit for waste/effluent handling: select permit type → prepare documentation → apply & pay → assessment & permit.
Get an EIA certificate from the Federal Ministry of Environment for a new project: registration → site verification → EIA study → public display → panel review → approval. Category I projects need a full EIA.
Obtain a NAFDAC permit to import narcotics, psychotropics or precursor chemicals for medical/scientific use (NDLEA shares diversion control): register → compliant storage → apply for the import permit → permit issued.
License a pharmaceutical premises with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria under a Superintendent Pharmacist: engage pharmacist → location approval → register premises (Form B) → inspection & licence.
License a private medical facility: incorporate with qualified staff → meet MDCN facility standards → apply to the State health facility agency → inspection & licence.
License an advertising agency with ARCON/APCON: register individual practitioners → corporate documents (RPA CEO) → agency insurance → corporate licence & ad approvals.
Distribute or exhibit film and video works lawfully: incorporate and meet the share-capital floor for the licence category (community/regional/national/online) → obtain the NFVCB distributor or exhibitor licence → submit each film for censorship and classification → Censorship Certificate before release.
License a radio/TV or satellite broadcasting station with the National Broadcasting Commission: request & buy the form → submit feasibility & business plan → processing and approval → pay the category licence fee (5-year term).
Perfect ownership of land under the Land Use Act 1978, which vests all land in the state Governor. A first grant produces a Certificate of Occupancy; every subsequent transfer requires the Governor's Consent, obtained from the state Lands Bureau: search → Form 1C application → charting & assessment → pay consent/capital-gains/stamp/registration fees → consent endorsed and deed registered.
Register a real-estate/agency business (Lagos LASRERA + developers' REDAN): register the business → meet eligibility → LASRERA registration → REDAN (developers).
Become a registered Estate Surveyor & Valuer — the statutory credential to practise estate/valuation and issue valuation reports: qualify → supervised practice & interview → ESVARBON registration.
Produce, process or market agricultural seed lawfully: register with the National Agricultural Seeds Council under the NASC Act 2019 → facility inspection → licence (valid 1 year, renewable). Seed lots are separately certified/labelled by NASC.
Practise as a veterinary surgeon and operate a veterinary clinic under the Veterinary Surgeons Act: DVM from an accredited faculty → one-year internship → VCN licensing examination and registration → annual practising licence → VCN accreditation of the clinic premises.
Get a planning permit before building. In Lagos the permit is issued by LASPPPA under the Physical Planning Permit Regulations 2019: land title & survey → architectural and engineering drawings → submission and assessment → processing fee → permit within 28 days; construction is then supervised by LASBCA.
Become a CORBON-registered builder — required to practise building construction, maintenance and management: meet qualifications → submit project documentation → apply & pay → registration.
Get approval to run a private primary/secondary school: incorporate (with a TRCN-certified director) → apply to the State Ministry of Education → facilities inspection → academic inspection & approval certificate.
Obtain an NUC licence to establish a private university via the 14-step SCOPU process: declaration of intent → application & documents → interactive meeting & verification visits → 3-year Provisional Licence.
License a clearing & forwarding business: incorporate → register with CRFFN → obtain a Customs Agent licence → register with the NPA.
License a courier & logistics operation under the NIPOST Courier and Logistics Services Regulations 2020: incorporate → apply to Postmaster-General → submit requirements → pay category licence fee.
License a travel agency for ticketing/travel operations: incorporate → apply to the NCAA → join NANTA → NCAA certificate then IATA accreditation.
Register and classify a hospitality/tourism establishment: CAC → register with NTDC → premises inspection & grading → state tourism licence.
The numbers behind the decision
Knowing the process is half of it. ONYX also tracks the operating environment you are entering — daily grid generation, official FX, state-level input prices and inflation, and sector output — each figure source-linked and dated.