Frequently Asked

• When are Annual Returns due for filing?

  A company’s first Annual Returns are due for filing after 18 months of its inception, subsequently it should be filed annually as the name implies. The filing dates could differ for each company depending on their financial year end but must be filed not later than 42 days after its Annual General Meeting.

  The Annual Returns for Business Names is due not later than the 30^th of June each year except in the year the business was registered.

• Do I need a Company Secretary?

  A limited liability company (LLC) must not have a company secretary.

• What is an execution clause in a contract?

  This is the section in which the parties sign the contract or agreement.

• What are the penalties for not registering my products with the SON?

  1. Seizure of goods by the Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate
  2. Payment of a fine.
  3. Prosecution

   

• What is personal data?

  This is any information that can be used to identify an identifiable human person such passport photograph.

• What is the difference between licensing and assigning a patent?

  Licensing a patent means granting permission to another individual or organisation to make, use as well as sell the creation that has been protected by patent.

  A patent assignment on the other hand, is a finished exchange of patent rights starting with one individual then onto another person.

• When can I start renewal of the registration of my product(s) with NAFDAC?

  You can start renewal 6 months to the date of expiry.

• Why do i need a Shareholders Agreement?

  You need a Shareholders Agreement to protect your investment in a company.  The shareholders Agreement establishes a fair relationship between all shareholders and sets out how the company is run.

• Will my trademark registration in Nigeria protect me worldwide?

  No, all intellectual property (IP) rights which includes trademarks are territorial, which means you are protected in the countries in which you register them.