How to Register a Church in Nigeria

Steps for registering a Church in Nigeria

Although a church is not a commercial entity, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) views it as an entity which needs to be registered nonetheless. There is therefore a laid down process for how to register a church in Nigeria. This article will give a step by step breakdown of the process. The registration of churches is carried out under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

Step 1

As with all registration of entities in Nigeria, the first step is to conduct a search on the name to find out if it is available and to reserve the name if available. It is always advisable to have at least 2 names, one as an alternate name in case the primary name is unavailable.

Step 2

Next step is to create a Board of Trustees, churches are supposed to be governed and managed by what is known as a Board of Trustees. These are the equivalent of what a shareholder/director would be in an incorporated company. The Trustees of a church are responsible for the management and direction of the church, and for filing any statutory returns.

Step 3

Once the name of the church has been approved and the board of trustees in place, the next step for the registration of a church in Nigeria is that the Trustees must publish a notification of their intention to register a church. This notice must be published in 2 newspapers, one of the newspapers being one that is widely circulated in the area where the organisation will be based.

Step 4

The next step is to complete and submit the application form. The application form is self-explanatory and asks for information like the approved name of the church, the registered address of the church, a brief description of the aims and objectives of the church. The form also requires the personal details of the Trustees, this includes their names, sex, nationality, permanent residential addresses, occupation etc.

The completed application form must be submitted alongside other documentation which includes an application letter, the original newspaper publications, two copies of the church constitution, the minutes of the meeting where the trustees were appointed, 2 passport photographs of each Trustee etc.

Step 5

All the documentation is then reviewed by the CAC, and if there are no queries, the church is registered with the CAC and can then commence operation.

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We hope you have found this information helpful. Please note that this information is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. No lawyer-client relationship is formed nor should any such relationship be implied. This answer is not intended to substitute for the advice of a qualified lawyer. If you require legal advice, please consult with a qualified lawyer.