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Civil Marriage in Nigeria: How To Get Legally Hitched In Africa’s Most Populous Country

Civil Marriage in Nigeria

 

Civil marriage in Nigeria is gradually becoming very popular amongst a growing population with less inclinations to religion and its conservatism.

Civil marriage in Nigeria is very important because it is recognized by the law and also serves as an evidence of a marriage contract between a couple.

Before having a civil wedding, there are some vital things you need to know that will prepare you for the process and guide your decisions.

Legal marriage is protected under the Marriage Act, Chapter 218 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990. There are two main marriage registries in Nigeria which are:

1. Federal Marriage Registries:

  • LAGOS – Ikoyi Registry (covers all those resident in Lagos, South-South, South East and South West)
  • ABUJA – Wuse 2 (covers all those resident in the Northern region)

2. All States have various Registries at the State and Local Government level.

Whichever kind of marriage registry you choose, the process involved in having a civil wedding follows the same guidelines which have been summarized below:

Filing of marriage notice:

  • Once you have decided to have a civil wedding, the intending bride or groom will obtain a form from their registry of choice to indicate their intention to marry. The form is a
  • You will also need to submit two coloured passport photographs.
  • The form is then posted on the

After the expiration of the notice and payment of the Prescribed Fee (this differs at each registry), the Registrar would issue a Form C after the following criteria has been met and satisfied:

  • That one of the parties has been resident within the district in which the marriage is intended to be celebrated.
  • That each of the parties to the intended marriage (not being a widower or widow) is twenty-one years old, and if under that age, the consent hereinafter made requisite has been obtained in writing and is annexed to such affidavit (meaning you have to get written permission/consent from the bride-to-be’s parent or legal guardian).
  • That there is not any impediment of kindred or affinity, or any other lawful hindrance to the marriage
  • That neither of the parties to the intended marriage is married by customary law to any person other than the person with whom such marriage is proposed to be contracted.

Once the requirements mentioned above have been confirmed, the couple would swear an affidavit before the registrar or recognized minister of religion. During the sworn affidavit, the registrar would reiterate the above Prohibitive degrees and also explain the penalties involved.

Failure to disclose a breach in any of the above makes the defaulter liable to two years imprisonment.

Thereafter, the Registrar signs a declaration/affidavit to show that the couple understands the implications under the law and have met and satisfied all that has been required of them.

Upon proof that there is no lawful impediment to the proposed marriage, and that the necessary consent, if any, to such marriage has been obtained, the Minister will dispense with the giving of notice, issue the certificate, and grant his/her license, known as Form D, authorizing the celebration of a marriage between the parties named in such license.

The couple then selects a date for the wedding, usually within three months from the date the notice was placed with the registry.

Also Read: Love, an important ingredient for marital success

On the wedding day, the couple alongside their family members and friends would go to the registry to finalize the marriage proceedings. There would be other couples that will also show up for their own celebration, and as such each couple is given a specific time that must be adhered to.

The ceremony is usually not longer than 30 minutes. During the proceedings, the Registrar would print the marriage certificates in duplicate and with counterfoils as in the FORM E. The officiating minister will fill up in duplicate a marriage certificate with the particulars required by Form E, and enter in the counterfoil the number of the certificate, the date of the marriage, names of the parties, and the names of the witnesses.

The certificate will then be signed in duplicate by the officiating minister, by the parties, and by two or more witnesses to the marriage. The minister having also signed his name to the counterfoil will deliver one certificate to the parties, and within seven days, thereafter file the same in his office.

Every Registrar will then register the marriage in a book called the Marriage Register Book, every certificate of marriage filed in his office according to the FORM F… and viola! You’re married!

The civil marriage in Nigeria is by far the cheapest among the other types of marriage ceremonies in Nigeria, though it has got a longer procedure and all criteria must be met.

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Lifestyle

Mo Abudu Opens Ebony Life In London

Mo Abudu has opened a London cinema dedicated to African and Black films, saying her experiences growing up in England inspired her to help change perceptions of Africa.Abudu opened EbonyLife Place London on Thursday, 8 October, in south-west London near Nine Elms, with a 160-seat auditorium for films, performances and cultural events. AFP describes it as the UK’s first cinema dedicated exclusively to African and Black films. London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined the opening. The centre will also showcase African food and fashion.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Africa shared on X on Friday, Abudu recalled that when people were asked what came to mind at the word Africa, the answers she heard were “poverty” and babies with flies on their faces. She said those images came largely from what people read in newspapers and saw on television.

Growing up in England, she said, she found herself acting as an ambassador for everything African or Nigerian and was often asked “the most pathetic questions.” She said people sometimes said hurtful things and she learned to swallow them and move on. Racism is real, she said, and the way to deal with it is to offer a different narrative.

She described the cinema as a permanent, round-the-clock home for African and Black films, food and fashion. She stressed that it isn’t meant to keep those films off other platforms, but that because the community is underrepresented, it needs spaces where it feels safe and can share its own content while inviting the rest of the world in. The only way to do that, she said, is to be in charge of the narrative.

Membership will be open to everyone, with no ethnic or nationality restrictions, though details of the scheme have not been announced.

The programme is still being finalised, but Abudu has said it will include films from across Africa and movies that celebrate Black actors and storytelling, alongside the centre’s own productions and the next Black Panther film. She told AFP she would like to open a similar space in Paris, possibly through a partnership.

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Entertainment

$20K, ₦400m mansion, other lavish gifts Peller and Jarvis received for wedding

The wedding of TikTok stars Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, and Elizabeth Amadou, better known as Jarvis, was filled with memorable moments. Beyond the glamorous outfits, celebrity guests, and cultural displays, it was the extravagant gifts presented to the newlyweds that became one of the biggest talking points.

Even before the wedding day, gifts had already started pouring in, while several admirers promised to present theirs during the ceremony. Peller’s longtime TikTok supporter, Gregory, kicked off the celebrations with a generous wedding gift of $20,000.

Gregory travelled to Nigeria specifically for the wedding and expressed excitement about being part of the occasion. Speaking during the event, he also revealed his interest in investing in Nigeria. “I can’t relocate, but Peller and Peller are going to work on some investment opportunities in Nigeria. One of the things that I really wanna do is open a school here. Hopefully we can do it; that would be my dream

One of the biggest surprises of the day came from Delta based billionaire Mohammed Ochacho, who presented the couple with a mansion worth ₦400 million in Lifecamp, Abuja.

While announcing the gift, the businessman explained that his children encouraged him to make the presentation. “On behalf of my children, I am presenting a brand new house for you worth ₦400 million in Lifecamp, Abuja.”

The gesture came just days after Peller met Ochacho at music executive Soso Soberekon’s event. During that meeting, the billionaire introduced the content creator to some of his associates and had earlier promised him 10 cows as part of his wedding gifts. Peller later jokingly called him out for not fulfilling that promise before the mansion was eventually unveiled.

In June 2026, Peller proposed to Jarvis during a private beachside ceremony at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Ghana

Just weeks later, he paid her bride price during a traditional introduction ceremony in Edo State, after which they had a court wedding.

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Entertainment

I Want to start acting in Movies – Davido reveals

Davido

Speaking in a recent interview with Vibe Q, the Afrobeat superstar said he has already executive-produced two movies but wants to get more involved in the film industry.

The singer also disclosed that he has shot a documentary, which will be released soon.

“I want to get into movies. I want to start acting soon. I have invested in two movies already as an executive producer. I also have a documentary coming. It is very very big. And yeah, I do want to act at some point in the future,” he said.

Davido noted that music is innovative like technology, adding that artists need to keep evolving and exploring.

“God has blessed me with an amazing career and fans. I wouldn’t ask for another type of career. Music is what I love and music evolves just like technology.

“There’s always a new sound, a new creative idea and a new way to tell your story,” the singer stated.

Speaking on his career so far and his future in a recent episode of The Vibe podcast, the father of six explained that he won’t encourage any of his children to do music is because of his own experience.

He revealed that his second daughter, Hailey Veronica Adeleke, is already leaning towards music and has a good voice but he’s skeptical about supporting her.

“I don’t want any of my children to pursue music. My second daughter [Hailey] is already leaning towards music. She is the life of the party. She behaves just like me. She actually has a good voice.

“But I know what I went through. Can you go through what I go through? Knowing what I have been through, I’m skeptical about encouraging any of my children to do music,” he said.

Davido, however, added, “But because my parents and my family eventually allowed me chase me dreams, I would never want to block any of my children from chasing their dreams. And if they are good, why not?”

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