The legal framework
Marriage is governed by the Marriage Act for statutory marriages, alongside customary and Islamic marriage systems that operate in parallel. The Child Rights Act sets 18 as the minimum age, but it has not been adopted by every state, and northern Penal Code provisions differ. Whichever system applies, the decisive practical step is registration: it determines what can be proved later about property, inheritance and children.
Key points
| Age | 18 under the Child Rights Act, where adopted by the state |
|---|---|
| Polygamy | Permitted under customary and Islamic law; statutory marriage is monogamous, and contracting a statutory marriage while customarily married is an offence. |
| Statutory marriage | Monogamous, registered at a marriage registry |
| Customary and Islamic marriages | May be polygynous; validity depends on compliance with the relevant system |
| Same-sex marriage | Prohibited and criminalised under the 2013 Act, which also penalises witnessing or registering such a union |
| Bride price | Central to customary marriage and often in issue on dissolution |
| Registrar's certificate | Required even for a church wedding to count as a statutory marriage |
| Licensed place of worship | The church must be licensed for marriages |
| 21 days' notice | Given at the marriage registry |
| Consequences differ | Statutory and customary marriages have different inheritance regimes |
In practice
- Establish which marriage system applies to you — it determines everything that follows.
- Register the marriage and obtain the certificate; customary and religious ceremonies often go unregistered.
- Where property regimes can be chosen, make the choice before the ceremony, in writing.
- Keep certified copies: they are required for inheritance, pensions and children's documentation.
- Confirm that the church is licensed and that the registrar's certificate has been issued.
- Keep the marriage certificate safe: it determines which succession rules apply on death.
Cost and coverage
Registration fees are modest; later regularisation through the courts is far more expensive.
Recent changes
The common regional trend is the consolidation of minimum ages at 18 and the promotion of registration for customary marriages.
Where to go
- National registrar of marriages or civil registration department.
- Local authorities and chiefs, where customary marriages are recorded.
- Legal aid schemes and women's rights organisations.
Worth knowing
An unregistered customary or religious marriage may be socially complete but legally invisible. Registration is what allows a surviving spouse to inherit and a separated spouse to claim. Many couples believe a church wedding is automatically a statutory marriage. Without the registrar's certificate it is not, and the difference emerges at the worst moment.
Official sources and links
- Nigeria.gov.ng — official government portal