The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has drawn a clear line in the sand — no more cheap legal work when it comes to business incorporation. In a sweeping move to protect lawyers from underpricing and ensure fair compensation, the NBA has officially set the minimum fee for incorporating business and company names at N50,000.
A Sliding Scale Based on Experience and Location
But the price doesn’t stop there. Depending on a lawyer’s years of experience and the state where they practice, the fee could climb as high as N500,000.
Here’s how the new fee structure breaks down:
Junior Lawyers (9 years post-call or less)
State Band 1: N50,000
State Band 2: N80,000
State Band 3: N100,000
Mid-Level Lawyers (13 years post-call and above)
State Band 1: N100,000
State Band 2: N150,000
State Band 3: N200,000
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs)
State Band 1: N300,000
State Band 2: N400,000
State Band 3: N500,000
Why the New Fees?
According to the NBA, this isn’t just about money — it’s about respect for the profession. For years, lawyers have been caught in a race to the bottom, undercutting each other’s fees just to secure clients. The result? Legal practitioners were undervalued, their work treated like a commodity instead of a specialised professional service.
With this new pricing policy, the NBA is making it clear: legal expertise has value, and that value must be respected and paid for.
Standardisation Across the Board
The introduction of state bands is also significant. The NBA acknowledges that the cost of living and operating a legal practice varies from state to state — hence the tiered pricing structure.
Band 1 covers states with lower economic activity and lower cost of living.
Band 2 applies to states with moderate economic activity.
Band 3 captures high-cost, high-demand states — including Lagos and Abuja.
Protecting the Profession, One Fee at a Time
The NBA’s message is loud and clear: lawyers are not charity workers, and professional services must command professional fees. By enforcing a minimum fee, the association hopes to curb the undercutting culture, promote healthy competition based on quality rather than price, and ultimately preserve the dignity of the legal profession.
For businesses looking to register their companies, this means one thing — quality legal service will cost what it’s worth.
