The Federal Government has finalized plans to begin inspecting organizations for the issuance of licenses to conduct statutory marriages and the renewal of existing marriages, as well as inspecting places of worship for the issuance of additional slots of expatriate quota facilities and the renewal of existing expatriate quota positions.`

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, and Principal Registrar of Marriage in Nigeria, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, made the disclosure in a Public Notice titled “Public Notice for Organizations and Public Places of Worship: Commencement of inspection for the grant and renewal of Expatriate Quota Facilities and Licensing/Renewal of Public Places of Worship for the conduct of Statutory Marriages” (Marriage Act 2004; CAP.M6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004).

According to him, “this is pursuant to the Second Schedule of the Marriage Act, Cap 6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and the approved Legal Notices vide Federal Government Official Gazette Nos. 55, 56, 59, 60, 61 & 62, Volume 108 of 2021.”

He added that in line with this schedule, the Ministry of Interior through its Citizenship and Business Department will henceforth be carrying out inspection exercises in organisations for the grant of additional slots of expatriate quota facilities, renewal of expatriate quota positions as well as the inspection of places of worship for issuance of licences to conduct statutory marriages and renewal of existing licences.

The notice also states that these inspection exercises and services attract payment of fees that are mandatory for organizations and public places of worship that do apply for such services.

For more information on the payment process, public places of worship and companies are directed to log on to the Ministry’s website.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.