There are hundreds of laws in Nigeria, and it is almost impossible for the Nigerian way to follow everyone and know what each one says about your rights and duties, so we decided to do the hard work for you! So we`ve put together a list of some of the important laws that Nigerians should be aware of. This is another law that every Nigerian should be aware of. The law was introduced to introduce profound changes in the financial sector. This is an omnibus law amending 7 (seven) substantive laws, namely: Corporate Tax Act, VAT Act, Customs and Excise Tax Act, etc. (Consolidated Act), Income Tax Act, Capital Gains Tax Act, Stamp Duty Act; and the Petroleum Profits Tax Act to allow for a review of tax regulations and better respond to tax reform. The aim of the law is to promote tax justice, adapt national laws to global best practices and support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. As a citizen, and especially as a lawyer, you must be aware of the changes and effects of this law, such as; This is the most important law in the country, it is the law from which all other laws in Nigeria derive their validity. Therefore, this is one of the laws that you must observe. The meaning of this law is probably why you hear people use the phrase «it`s unconstitutional» so often, because if something is unconstitutional, it cannot exist. The Constitution also contains all the basic human rights of Nigerian citizens.

If you want to know more about the Constitution, you can read our article here – 14 things you should know about the Nigerian Constitution. Nigerian law consists of courts, criminal offences and various types of laws. Nigeria has its own constitution, which was established on 29 May 1999. The Constitution of Nigeria is the supreme law of the country. There are four different legal systems in Nigeria, including English law, customary law, customary law and Sharia law. English law in Nigeria derives from colonial Nigeria, while common law is a development of its postcolonial independence. [1] The National Assembly and Nigerian authorities are constantly enacting laws and regulations to help build the country and administer the people. Here are some of the new laws of 2019 that we think you should be aware of. These laws are the laws in which most (not all) criminal laws are found, they contain provisions on the acts that constitute a crime and the penalties imposed for committing the crimes. It contains crimes such as murder, rape, armed robbery, fraud, witchcraft (yes, witchcraft is a crime in Nigeria) and much more. Some offences have their own specific laws due to the importance or technical nature of these offences, for example money laundering is explicitly criminalised under the Money Laundering Act. However, most laws are contained in the Criminal Code or the Criminal Code.

The reason why there are two different laws is that the Penal Code applies to most of the southern states of Nigeria and the Penal Code to most of the northern states of Nigeria. There are some important differences in the law that reflect the cultural differences between northern and southern Nigeria The Land Use Act is the primary law in Nigeria that deals with ownership and transfer of ownership to land. The law is quite unique in that it is «more important» than an ordinary law. Before this law can be amended or repealed, there is a long process, in fact, it can only be amended according to the same procedure as would be the case with the amendment of the Constitution. One of the most important provisions of the Land Use Act is that all land belongs to the government – which is why if you want to buy/sell land, you will need the approval of the governor. The FCCP Act provides a comprehensive legal framework for the regulation of competition and antitrust issues in Nigeria. It establishes the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which is entrusted with the task of advising the Federal Government on national competition and consumer protection policies, initiating broad-based policies, exercising judicial functions, eliminating anti-competitive agreements, enforcing the provisions of the FCCP Act and issuing derived rules and regulations in accordance with the Law. The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in Nigeria. It is based in the capital Abuja. The Supreme Court is mainly a court of appeal and the last court of appeal in the country. [4] It also has jurisdiction of origin in cases of state against state and state against federal government.

The Supreme Court is headed by a Chief Justice assisted by other judges. The appointment of the President of the Supreme Court and the judges is subject to the confirmation of the President of the Senate. The High Court of a State/FCT is the highest English court of a state or the FCT. The High Court of a state/FCT and the Federal High Court have similar powers. Due to the fact that there is a division of the Federal Court in each state and each state has its own Supreme Court, there is usually some confusion as to which court is which. For example, in Lagos State, there is a Federal Court, Lagos and a Lagos State Supreme Court (sometimes called the Lagos State High Court). It is presided over by a Chief Justice assisted by other judges. Just below the Federal Court of Appeal are the Level 3 courts. These include: (1) the Federal Court of Justice and (2) the High Court of a stat e/FCT, (3) the Customary Court of Appeal of a State/FCT and (4) the Sharia Court of Appeal of a State/FCT. Judgments of level 4 courts can only be appealed to their respective level 3 higher courts (for example, judgments of the English Magistrates Court can only be appealed to the English Level 3 Court (the High Court of a State/FCT)). 10][11] Homosexuality is actually prohibited in Nigeria by federal law, so if you are an LGBTQ+ traveler, you should avoid public expressions of affection. Judgments of the Code of Conduct Tribunal may be appealed to the Level 2 Court (Federal Court of Appeal).

There are two types of electoral courts: (1) the Electoral Courts of the National Assembly, which deal with petitions for elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives, and (2) elections of governors and parliaments, which deal with petitions for elections to the Governor`s and state parliaments. Electoral courts are established by the President of the Federal Court of Appeal in consultation with the supreme judges of the state Supreme Courts, the Presidents of the state courts of appeal and/or the Grand Khandis of the state Sharia courts of appeals. [12] Waterborne diseases also pose a risk due to occasional heavy rains and widespread flooding in the Lagos and Katsina regions.