The position of the Law is that a foreign company that wants to do business in Nigeria must be registered or given special exemption.

A foreign company doing business in Nigeria without registration commits a Criminal offence and such business is void and the Court will not lend its aid to a man who grounds his cause on illegality.

This limitation is limited to enforceability of the contract, and does not generally extend to the legal capacity of a foreign company to sue and be sued in Nigeria

For the purpose of international trade, a foreign company not registered in Nigeria can sue in Nigeria. Where a foreign company enters into an international trade with a Nigerian, then it can sue to enforce it's contractual right.

Therefore, foreign company can validly sue or be sued in Nigeria on a contract it entered outside Nigeria where, for instance, it is merely to enforce a claim against a person resident in Nigeria.

Opatola Victor Esq
adeopatola@gmail.com
09041815408