Overview of PLACE OF WORSHIP

PLACE OF WORSHIP OVERVIEW

In accordance with the Marriage Act, CAP M6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (2004), all Places of Worship need to be licensed in order to conduct Marriages legally in Nigeria. A Place of Worship can only be licensed by the Ministry of Interior, and the eCITIBIZ portal works to make this licensing process more efficient. All Marriages would be registered and stored in the eCITIBIZ database. 

The activities that can be performed on the eCITIBIZ portal are: 

Licensing of Place of Worship:  The Ministry also has the duty of licensing Places of Worship, in order to enable them to legally conduct Marriages in Nigeria. The application for licensing a Place of Worship can also be carried out on this portal. A License Certificate that is valid for five years is issued after the application has been approved, and all necessary payments have been made. All Places of Worship that wish to conduct Marriages legally in Nigeria must be licensed. This first Certificate is valid for five (5) years and renewable after three (3) year period. 

Renewal of Place of Worship License: After the period of five (5) years, a Place of Worship is mandated to renew their License every three (3) years.

PLACE OF WORSHIP REQUIREMENTS

CONDITIONS FOR LICENSING OF PUBLIC PLACES OF WORSHIP

  • Must have an ordained minister/spiritual head.
  • The Place of Worship must be domiciled on a permanent site.
  • It must be built of concrete wall with relevant facilities in place.
  • Must be adequately ventilated with fans and air-conditioners.
  • The Place of Worship must be sited in a clean environment.
  • Must have water closet (convenience).
  • Must have fire extinguishing devices.
  • Must possess safe for storing statutory marriage certificates and other valuables.
  • Must have an alternative source of energy (Generator or Solar) and
  • Must have public address system.

Place of Worship License:

All Places of Worship which intend to be Licensed must complete the following:

  • Identity Card of Place of Worship Representative.
  • Certificate of Occupancy.
  • Certificate of Incorporation.
  • First 5 pages and the last page of Place of Worship Constitution.
  • Ordination Certificate of Minister.
  • Photographs of the Interior and Exterior Views of the Place of Worship. *Two Copies Each*
  • Minister’s Identification.
  • Passport Photographs of Minister.
  • Power of Attorney.

 *All these documents should be uploaded

WORSHIP FEES DETAILS

S/NO SERVICES PROCESSING FEE PORTAL FEE AUTOMATION FEE APPROVAL FEE DURATION
1 PLACE OF WORSHIP LICENSE ₦ 30,000.00 ₦ 40,000.00 ₦ 30,000.00 ₦ 100,000.00 5 Years
2 RENEWAL OF PLACE OF WORSHIP LICENSE ₦ 30,000.00 ₦ 35,000.00 ₦ 30,000.00 ₦ 50,000.00 3 Years
3 Request For Marriage Certificate 1 Booklet (25 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 375,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
4 Request For Marriage Certificate 2 Booklet (50 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 750,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
5 Request For Marriage Certificate 3 Booklet (75 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 1,125,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
6 Request For Marriage Certificate 4 Booklet (100 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 1,500,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
7 Request For Marriage Certificate 5 Booklet (125 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 1,875,000.00 ₦ ₦
8 Request For Marriage Certificate 10 Booklet (250 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 3,750,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
9 Request For Marriage Certificate 15 Booklet (375 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 5,625,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
10 Request For Marriage Certificate 1 Booklet (5 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 75,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
11 Request For Marriage Certificate 2 Booklet (10 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 150,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
12 Request For Marriage Certificate 3 Booklet (15 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 225,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
13 Request For Marriage Certificate 4 Booklet (20 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 300,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
14 Request For Marriage Certificate 5 Booklet (25 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 375,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
15 Request For Marriage Certificate 10 Booklet (50 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 750,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
16 Request For Marriage Certificate 15 Booklet (75 Certificates) ₦ ₦ 1,125,000.00 ₦ ₦ -
This Department is also responsible for upholding the Marriage Act, CAP M6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2004) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

APPLY FOR BUSINESS PERMIT

APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP