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Certified Nigerian Articles of Incorporation Translation
Certified translation of the documents that constitute and evidence a Nigerian company, with the corporate form, the registry references and the powers of the representatives reproduced exactly rather than mapped onto US equivalents that carry different law.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
The CAC, and what CAMA 2020 changed
A Nigerian company is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 changed the landscape substantially: it permitted single-shareholder private companies, abolished the requirement for a company secretary in small companies, and replaced the authorised share capital concept with issued share capital.
So documents from before and after 2020 state different things about capital, and an older memorandum referring to authorised capital is the law as it stood rather than an error.
Memorandum, articles and the status report
A Nigerian company holds a Memorandum and Articles of Association and a certificate of incorporation, and what a counterparty now normally verifies is the CAC status report — an electronic extract showing current directors, shareholders and filings, which replaced the older certified true copies of individual forms.
Older files contain Forms CAC 2 and CAC 7 recording share allotments and directors; the status report supersedes them without invalidating them.
The RC number, and business names
A company carries an RC number from the Corporate Affairs Commission, reproduced exactly. A registered business name carries a BN number instead and is not a company at all — it is an unincorporated trading name with no separate legal personality, and the distinction matters to a foreign counterparty assuming they are dealing with a limited company.
An incorporated trustee — a nonprofit — carries yet another prefix.
English, and whether you need anything
Nigerian corporate documents are in English, so a translation is frequently unnecessary. Some offices require a certification for any foreign document regardless of language; many do not, and asking is free — we would rather you kept the money.
Where a document carries Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo — a local authority permit, a community attestation — that does need translating.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Every seal, stamp, notarial recital and registry annotation is translated — a corporate document with its endorsements missing is not a complete document. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
My memorandum mentions authorised share capital.
That was the law before CAMA 2020, which replaced it with issued share capital. Not an error.
What is the status report?
An electronic CAC extract showing current directors, shareholders and filings. It is what counterparties now verify.
Is a business name a company?
No. A BN is an unincorporated trading name with no separate legal personality. An RC number is a company.
My documents are in English. Do I need a translation?
Often not. Ask the office first.
Ready to get started?
Upload the deed or the registry extract and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.