Insights
Notes on Nigerian law
Short, practical notes on Nigerian law and regulation, written by the JANS team for clients rather than lawyers. RSS feed
- What an employee really costs in 2026Salary is only part of the bill. Before the next minimum wage deal lands, every employer should know the full cost of a person on the payroll, and the much higher cost of keeping them off it.3 min read
- “I quit!” and “you can’t work for a competitor”: getting exits rightMost employment disputes we see start at the exit. One side leaves in anger, or the other tries to stop them working anywhere else. A July 2026 Court of Appeal decision shows the cost of getting the second part wrong.3 min read
- Won an oil block, or bidding in 2026? Your consortium agreement matters more than your bidThirty-one companies won 37 blocks in Nigeria’s 2025 licensing round. Each has 90 days from its offer letter to meet the award conditions or lose the block. For consortia, the hardest condition is often agreeing with each other.3 min read
- Lagos’s new tenancy bill: the rules are not the problem. Enforcement is.Lagos already has a law that limits advance rent. Demands for two years upfront are still common. A new law will only help if it changes what happens at the door, not just what is written in the statute book.4 min read
- Why so many Lagos homeowners never perfect their title, and why that is the real riskBuyers in Lagos save for years to buy a property, then stop one step short of owning it in law. A May 2026 change in how Lagos values land has made that last step far more expensive. That is a policy problem, and a personal risk.3 min read
- The rent relief almost nobody is claimingSince 1 January 2026, tenants can cut their income tax by claiming 20% of the rent they pay on their home, up to ₦500,000 a year. It is not automatic, and many people have not claimed it. It may also quietly change how Nigeria rents.3 min read
- Owning a slice of a building: what the law actually protects when you buy fractional propertyApps now let Nigerians own part of a property for a small sum. Some are well structured. Some are not. The difference is not the app. It is what you legally own when you tap “buy”.2 min read
- Fight later, talk first: how to write a dispute clause that actually saves you moneyIn March 2026, the Supreme Court praised a case for reaching it in just over three years. That was the fast version. Most businesses cannot wait that long for their money. The cheapest dispute is the one your contract settles early.3 min read
- Going solar to escape diesel and the grid: the contract terms that decide whether it paysMore Nigerian businesses are making their own power. In 2025 alone, the electricity regulator approved captive generation permits for 23 companies, covering about 1,183MW. Most smaller businesses will buy solar through a purchase, a lease or a power purchase agreement. The panels are the easy part. The contract decides whether the deal pays.3 min read
- Running a short-let in Lagos? The tax question nobody has settledLagos says short-let hosts must collect a 5% consumption tax from their guests. Federal law charges VAT on much of the same spending. The courts have said the two should not stack, and the 2025 tax reforms have reopened the question. Hosts are stuck in the middle.3 min read
- Calling them “consultants” won’t protect youMore Nigerian businesses are hiring people as “consultants” or “contractors” to keep payroll costs down. If the person works like an employee, the National Industrial Court will treat them as one, whatever the contract says. With the new tax laws now in force, getting this wrong costs more than it used to.3 min read
- Your insurer now has a deadline. Here is how to use it.The most common insurance complaint in Nigeria is not a refused claim. It is a claim nobody refuses and nobody pays. The Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025 puts a clock on that, but the clock only helps people who know how to start it.2 min read
- Frozen account, wrong transfer: what your bank can and cannot doA bank can freeze your account on a fraud report without going to court. Send money to the wrong account by mistake, and the same bank may tell you it can do nothing without the recipient’s consent or a court order. That imbalance needs fixing. Until it is, here is how to protect yourself.4 min read
- Can you stop your staff from joining a union? What the Dangote–PENGASSAN standoff taught every employerIn September 2025, a dispute over union membership at Africa’s largest refinery disrupted oil and gas operations across Nigeria for days. The settlement left the employer carrying the cost it had tried to avoid. There are lessons here for any business with staff.3 min read
- When your WhatsApp investment group becomes a legal problemThe Investments and Securities Act 2025 gave the SEC sharper teeth against unregistered investment schemes. Many friendly savings groups, “investment clubs” and side-hustle syndicates now sit close to the line without knowing it.3 min read
Insights are general information about Nigerian law, not legal advice. For advice on your own matter, speak to us.