A university abroad needs certified copies of your certificates. A bank wants a statutory declaration. You are about to pay for land or invest in a company and want to know what the records really show. These are routine needs, but each has to be done correctly for the document or the search to be relied on.
The law
What the law provides
A Notary Public in Nigeria is a legal practitioner commissioned under the Notaries Public Act to authenticate and attest documents, administer oaths and witness declarations. Notarised documents are commonly required for use outside Nigeria, and some must then be legalised by the relevant ministry or embassy.
Statutory declarations are made under the Statutory Declarations Act. Searches are conducted at the relevant public registries — the state land registry and Ministry of Lands, the Corporate Affairs Commission under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, and the registries of the courts.
The process
What happens in practice
For notarisation, the person signing attends in person with valid identification and the original documents. The notary confirms identity and, where required, the authenticity of the documents, and attests them under the notarial seal.
For a search, we obtain the necessary authority, apply at the registry and examine the records. The report sets out what is recorded — the registered owner or company particulars, encumbrances, charges and any pending litigation disclosed — and what the records do not show.
Our role
How the firm acts
We notarise and certify documents, administer oaths, witness statutory declarations, and advise on any further legalisation required for use abroad. We conduct land, company and court searches and provide a written report with our advice on what the results mean for the transaction.
Questions
Questions clients commonly ask
What do I need to bring to have a document notarised?
The original document, a copy, and a valid means of identification. The person signing must attend in person.
Why should I do a search before buying land?
A search shows what is recorded against the land — the registered interest, any mortgage or caveat, and sometimes pending litigation. It is one of the first steps in establishing whether the seller can pass a good title.
Can you search a company's records?
Yes. A search at the Corporate Affairs Commission shows the company's registered particulars, directors, shareholders and registered charges.
Please do not send confidential or sensitive information through this website. Contacting the firm does not create a lawyer–client relationship, and no such relationship exists until the firm has confirmed in writing that it is able to act for you.