How to Register a Trademark in Nigeria 2026: Trademarks Registry Steps, Official Fees and 45 Classes

📌 Quick answer (checked 19 October 2026): In Nigeria you register a trademark with the Trademarks Registry of the Commercial Law Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (branded “IPO Nigeria”, website iponigeria.fmiti.gov.ng, filing portal portal.iponigeria.com), under the Trade Marks Act, Cap T13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The Registry’s own fee table, read on 19 October 2026, lists ₦2,500 for an availability search, ₦16,750 for a new registration and ₦11,750 for the certificate, which adds up to ₦31,000 in official fees for a straightforward application. The Registry says the process “typically takes 12-18 months” if nobody objects. A registration lasts 7 years and is then renewed every 14 years. We could not find any official body called “FIPO”, so this guide uses the Registry’s real name.

Plenty of Nigerian founders think their CAC certificate protects their brand. It does not, and the Registry says so plainly in its list of common mistakes: “Assuming a CAC registration gives trademark, Patent, or Design protection; it does not.” CAC registration lets you trade under a name. A registered trademark gives you the exclusive right to use a mark for particular goods or services, and lets you go to court against copycats.

Who Registers Trademarks in Nigeria in 2026?

Trademarks are registered by the Trademarks Registry, which sits under the Commercial Law Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. The Ministry runs the Registry’s website, iponigeria.fmiti.gov.ng, under the “IPO Nigeria” name. Filing, payment and tracking go through the online portal at portal.iponigeria.com, which is linked from every page of the official site.

An earlier version of this article called the office “FIPO” (the “Federal Institute of Industrial Property”). We could not find that name on the Registry’s site or in any official document we checked, so we have dropped it. If an agent or website tells you to deal with “FIPO”, check that they mean the Ministry’s Trademarks Registry.

CAC Registration vs Trademark Registration

You usually need both. NaijaSabi’s step-by-step guide on how to register a business with CAC in Nigeria covers the first part.

Official Trademark Fees (as Published by the Registry)

The table below is copied from the Trademark Services tab of the Registry’s “Services & Fees” page, as it read on 19 October 2026. The page does not give an effective date. It also does not say whether a fee is charged per class or per application, so check this on the portal or with the Registry before you pay. A dash means the page lists no amount.

Worked example: official fees for one straightforward application

Say you are a Lagos skincare brand filing one word mark, nobody opposes it, and no extra paperwork is needed. Going by the published table:

• Availability search: ₦2,500
• New registration: ₦16,750
• Certificate payment: ₦11,750
• Official fees total: ₦31,000

This total covers only the fees on the Registry’s page. It leaves out anything a lawyer or trademark agent charges, which is set privately. It also leaves out publication or journal charges, because the page lists no amount for them. If you hire a professional, ask for a written, itemised quote that keeps government fees separate from professional fees. We have removed the “all-in” agent cost ranges from earlier versions of this article because no official source supports them.

Step-by-Step: How to Register a Trademark in Nigeria

The Registry’s FAQ lists the process as: search, prepare the application, file with the Registry, pay the fees, examination, respond to objections, publication in the Trade Marks Journal, the opposition period, then the certificate. Here are those stages with what the law and the Registry say about each one.

Step 1: Run an availability search

The Registry calls a search before filing “highly recommended”, because it “helps identify potential conflicts with existing trademarks” and can “save time and money by avoiding objections during the examination process.” The published fee is ₦2,500. This matters because section 13 of the Trade Marks Act bars registering a mark that is identical to, or so similar it is likely to cause confusion with, a mark already on the register for the same goods or description of goods. The Registry’s “Preliminary Advice” service also offers availability checks and classification guidance.

Step 2: Choose your class or classes

Under section 4 of the Act, a trademark is registered for “particular goods or classes of goods”. The Registry says Nigeria uses 45 classes: 1–34 for goods and 35–45 for services. Your protection “only extends to the classes you’ve registered for”, and if you expand into other goods or services you need further applications. See the class guide below.

Step 3: Get your documents ready

The Registry lists these filing requirements:

• A completed application form
• A clear representation of the mark (for colour marks, give the specific colour codes)
• A list of goods or services in the right classes
• The applicant’s details and an address for service in Nigeria
• The filing fees
• A power of attorney, if an agent files for you
• Priority documents, if you are claiming priority
• Evidence that you intend to use the mark in Nigeria

You do not need a logo. The Registry confirms you can register a word mark (text only), a logo, or a combined mark. Its advice is that if you plan to use a particular design, you should register the full mark exactly as you will use it.

Step 4: File and pay on the portal

Create an account on portal.iponigeria.com and file the application there. Section 18 of the Act says the application must be made in writing to the Registrar “in the prescribed manner”. The Registry’s FAQ lists accepted payment routes: bank transfer, online payment through the registry portal, bank draft payable to the registry, or cash at designated registry offices. Whichever you use, quote the correct reference number so the payment can be traced.

Step 5: Examination and objections

The Registry checks your mark for distinctiveness and for conflicts with existing marks. Its FAQ puts examination at about 3–6 months. If it raises an objection, you must respond. Section 9 sets out what makes a mark distinctive, such as an invented word or a word with no direct reference to the character or quality of the goods. The Registry may also ask you to disclaim descriptive parts of your mark, which means giving up exclusive rights to those elements while keeping protection for the mark as a whole.

Step 6: Publication in the Trade Marks Journal and opposition

An accepted application is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal. Section 20(1) of the Act gives anyone two months from the date of publication to file a notice of opposition. If someone opposes, you must file a counter-statement within one month, or the application is treated as abandoned (s.20(3)). The Registry’s FAQ describes a “3 months opposition period”, so if you are counting deadlines, go by the Act and confirm the date with the Registry. The official fee for filing an opposition is ₦11,500.

Step 7: Pay for and receive your certificate

Once registration is complete, the Registrar “shall issue to the applicant a certificate of registration” (s.22(3)). The published certificate fee is ₦11,750. Registration is backdated to the application date, which counts as the date of registration (s.22(2)).

Step 8: Keep it alive and renew on time

Section 23 says a registration lasts 7 years and can be renewed for 14-year periods after that. The Registry advises applying for renewal 6 months before expiry. It also says late renewal is possible within 6 months after expiry, with additional fees. The published fees are ₦15,500 for renewal and ₦9,500 for late renewal. The Registry warns that “failure to renew results in loss of trademark rights.”

How Long Does It Take?

Objections or opposition add time. Track progress on the portal with your application number.

The 45 Nice Classes: A Quick Guide

Nigeria classifies goods and services using the Nice Classification, which is maintained by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO’s 13th edition, NCL (13-2026), took effect on 1 January 2026. WIPO notes that it moved some goods and services into different classes, so check your exact items against the current list instead of copying an old application. Below are the classes most often used by Nigerian small businesses, with summarised class headings.

A business that sells both goods and services, such as a fashion label that also runs a retail shop, may need several classes (for example 25 and 35). The Registry says protection covers only the classes you register.

What Can and Cannot Be Registered

Can be registered: according to the Registry, words, phrases, logos, symbols, designs, colours, sounds, or a combination of these, as long as the mark is distinctive.

Cannot be registered (per the Registry FAQ and sections 9, 11 and 13 of the Act):

• Marks that describe the goods or services, or generic terms
• Deceptive or misleading marks
• Marks contrary to law, public policy or morality, and “any scandalous design” (s.11)
• Marks identical or confusingly similar to registered marks for the same goods (s.13)
• National emblems or flags
• Marks lacking distinctiveness. Geographical names and surnames may also face restrictions

Do not label an unregistered mark as “registered”. Under section 61 of the Act, falsely claiming a mark is registered is an offence.

Do You Need a Lawyer or Agent?

Nigerian applicants can file on the portal themselves. The Registry’s requirements mention a power of attorney only “if using an agent”. Foreign applicants are treated differently: they must have an address for service in Nigeria or appoint a local agent or attorney. A professional can help with search analysis, class wording and answering objections, but their fees are private. Agree them in writing, separate from the official fees above.

Protecting Your Mark Outside Nigeria

A Nigerian registration protects you only in Nigeria. The Registry’s FAQ says Nigeria is a member of the Madrid Protocol. However, WIPO’s official list of Madrid Protocol contracting parties, which we checked in October 2026, does not include Nigeria. Until that changes, plan to file directly in each country where you trade, or through a regional system that covers that market. Foreign applicants filing in Nigeria can claim priority from an earlier foreign application made within 6 months, according to the Registry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to register a trademark in Nigeria in 2026?

The Registry’s published fees, read on 19 October 2026, are ₦2,500 for the search, ₦16,750 for a new registration and ₦11,750 for the certificate, a total of ₦31,000. The page does not say whether these are per class. Professional fees, if you hire anyone, are extra and privately set.

What is FIPO? Is it the trademark office?

We could not find any official body called “FIPO” in Nigeria. Trademarks are registered by the Trademarks Registry, Commercial Law Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, which runs iponigeria.fmiti.gov.ng and portal.iponigeria.com.

How long does a Nigerian trademark last?

Seven years from the application date. After that it can be renewed for 14 years at a time, indefinitely (Trade Marks Act s.23). The published renewal fee is ₦15,500.

Does my CAC registration protect my brand name?

No. The Registry lists this as a common mistake. Without a registered trademark you cannot sue for infringement and can rely only on a passing-off claim (Trade Marks Act s.3).

How long do I have to oppose someone else’s trademark?

Section 20(1) of the Act allows two months from the date the mark is published in the Trade Marks Journal. The published opposition fee is ₦11,500.

Sources

1. Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Commercial Law Department (IPO Nigeria), “Services & Fees: Trademark Services”, page read 19 October 2026
2. Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Commercial Law Department (IPO Nigeria), “Frequently Asked Questions” and “About Us”, pages read 19 October 2026
3. Federal Republic of Nigeria, “Trade Marks Act, Cap T13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004”
4. World Intellectual Property Organization, “Coming on January 1, 2026: Thirteenth Edition of the Nice Classification”, 11 December 2025
5. World Intellectual Property Organization, “Madrid Protocol: Contracting Parties” (WIPO Lex), list read 19 October 2026

Last updated: 19 October 2026 · NaijaSabi.