A lot of us are passionate about certain charitable causes and the only way to carry out these activities legally is by the Registration of NGO in Nigeria. A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is one that is set up without any affiliations with the government and with the sole aim of providing certain benefits to the society. These organizations are usually in religious, educational, literary, scientific, socio-cultural, sports oriented or charitable in nature. Unlike most corporate bodies that are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the aim of a NGO is not to make profit. How then is the Registration of NGO in Nigeria done? Keep reading to find out!

REGISTRATION OF NGO IN NIGERIA

Registration of NGO in Nigeria can be done under any of the following categories as prescribed by law;

1. Incorporated trustees
2. A company limited by guarantee

NGO Registration requirements

Although any of the two forms is suitable for the Registration of NGO in Nigeria, the most widely used is the “Incorporated Trustees”, this is due to the fact that the process of registering a Company limited by guarantee is more cumbersome and the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation is also required.

The procedure for registering an NGO as an Incorporated Trustee in Nigeria will be highlighted below:

HOW TO REGISTER A CHARITY FOUNDATION IN NIGERIA

STEP ONE

The mission and vision of the NGO must be known and possible names suggested. The trustees should also be appointed.  

STEP TWO

Conduct a search with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to check if the proposed NGO name is available for reservation. Only a name that is not identical to an existing registered organization in Nigeria can be reserved and this can be done online on the CAC website. In the event that the name is available, it will be reserved and an approval note will be sent to that effect.

STEP THREE

Procurement of application form which contains a memorandum for guidance of application.

STEP FOUR

Publication of Notice to Register in two (2) newspapers, 1 National and 1 Local  with a minimum size of 8cm x 2 or 3”x 2 signed by the person making the publication clearly stating the name of the association, the full names of the trustees, the aims of the association and Must call for objections to the registration of the association.

STEP FIVE

Submission of the duly completed application form in triplicate which should be accompanied by the following;

1. A formal letter of application
2. The original newspaper publications
3. 2 copies of Applicant’s constitution that meet the requirement of the law
4. Minutes of the meeting whereat the trustees were appointed, having the list of members present and absent and showing the voting pattern, signed by Chairman and Secretary of the Board
5. Minutes of the meeting where the special clause rules was adopted into the constitution of the organization; signed by Secretary and Chairman
6. Trustees (Applicants) have to attach 2 passport sized photographs of themselves
7. Trustees have to sign against their names on the application form and furnish permanent residential addresses
8. The impression of the common seal should be affixed on page 11 of the form and
9. Payment of Required fees
10. Two copies of the application form
11. Application form duly signed by Secretary and Chairman of the Board

STEP SIX

If after the advertisement, no objection is received within 28 or where any objection is received, and the same is rejected, the Commission shall upon satisfaction that the application is in compliance with the provisions of the Act assent to the application and register the trustees and issue a certificate in the prescribed form as well as the Certified True Copy of the Constitution.

The Certificate of Incorporation of the NGO will be issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission after duly approved. The NGO attains a legal personality upon incorporation, which is vested only on the incorporated trustees and not on all the members. The minimum number of trustees that can be registered is one but in practice, it is better to have two.

COST OF REGISTERING AN ASSOCIATION IN NIGERIA

The cost of registration depends on the lawyer or firm assisting in incorporating such organization, sometimes the cost may be calculated with the cost of advertisements in two national newspapers or it may simply be calculated on a step by step basis. However, the total cost of registration usually ranges between N150, 000 (One hundred and fifty thousand Naira) and N200,000 (Two hundred thousand Naira).

HOW TO REGISTER AN NGO ONLINE

The paragraph steps below adequately explain how to register online as an Incorporated Trustee, you must ensure that you have gathered all the necessary documents before you begin.

1. Start by visiting the CAC website to create an account, fill in your details and click on Register to submit; login to your email and verify the link sent to your inbox. And your account is ready.
2. Now, login to your CAC account with your username and password, submit your credentials for registration. Enter the proposed NGO name via the Name Reservation Menu and pay for the filing fees. You will be notified in a few days whether your Name reservation has been approved or not. It is important to carry out a public search and apply using a distinct name. The name search costs N5,000 and if the name is denied, fees would have to be paid again.
3. After the NGO Name has been approved by the Corporate Affairs Commission, the next step is to proceed with your NGO registration by clicking New Registration from the dropdown (Kindly note that you must have made a publication of the NGO in two Newspapers and wait for 28days before proceeding to this phase).  You will be required to fill in the NGO details, details of the trustees and secretary, and other details in the appropriate field.

Lastly, preview all the details you have entered and click submit. Subsequently, you will be notified if your NGO has been successfully registered.

DOES AN NGO HAVE TO BE REGISTERED?

Under Nigerian law, an NGO must be for the advancement of any religious, educational, literary, scientific, social/cultural development, sporting and charitable Purposes. Such NGOs are regarded as corporate bodies under CAMA hence they need to be registered.

LIST OF REGISTERED NGOS IN NIGERIA

Registered organizations can be confirmed through the CAC website by clicking on the Public search section.

SIDEBRIEF 

At Sidebrief, we are experienced in helping with the Registration of NGOs such as Churches, Mosques, Charity Organizations, and Community Associations etc. At the cost of One hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only (150,000) you can have your NGO Registered.