If you’ve ever changed your name after marriage, after a religious conversion, or simply to correct a discrepancy on your documents, there’s a good chance you did it the “old way”: swear an affidavit, run a newspaper publication, and move on with your life. For years, that was accepted practice in Nigeria. It isn’t anymore, and a lot of people don’t yet know it.
The Supreme Court settled the question in P.D.P. & Ors v. Degi-Eremienyo & Ors (2020) LPELR-49734 (SC), and its holding was blunt: an affidavit of correction and a newspaper advertorial, however well-drafted, do not validly change, correct, or confirm a name on an official record. If that’s the process you followed, the uncomfortable truth is that officially nothing changed. You’re still, on paper, whoever you were before.
What the Supreme Court Actually Said
The case arose out of an election dispute, in which a candidate’s use of multiple names across different official documents came under scrutiny, and the discrepancy had been “explained” via the familiar affidavit-and-newspaper route. The Court rejected that as sufficient. It held that because a name change affects official government records and archives, it can’t be left to a private deposition and a paid newspaper notice. The only route that properly effects a change, correction, or confirmation of name is a Deed Poll, followed by publication in the official Gazette through the Nigerian Civil Registry.
That last part matters more than it sounds. A newspaper publication proves you told the public something. A Gazette entry is the government’s own record acknowledging the change, which is exactly why only one of the two actually holds up when a bank, an employer, or an immigration officer scrutinises your documents.
So What Do You Actually Need to Do?
1. Execute a Deed Poll. A Deed Poll is a Deed of Change of Name, a formal legal document made and signed by one person (you), in the presence of at least two witnesses, who also sign it. It must be prepared by a legal practitioner and bear the lawyer’s seal; this isn’t a document you draft yourself off a template. Once you sign it, it becomes binding and stands as clear legal evidence of your intention to change, correct, or alter your name going forward.
2. Write an application letter. Addressed to the Chairman of the National Population Commission, this letter formally requests the change and accompanies your Deed Poll.
3. Submit both to the Legal Department at the National Population Commission (NPC). The Civil Registry under the NPC is the body responsible for gazetting name changes, effectively the modern successor to what used to be handled more informally.
4. Pay the prescribed fee once assessed. The NPC will contact you regarding the publication fee before your name change proceeds to the Gazette. Costs and turnaround can shift over time, and processes have been moving toward more digital submission, it’s worth confirming current fees and submission channels directly with the NPC before you start, rather than relying on a fixed figure from any single source, including this one.
5. Receive your Gazette publication and certificate. Once published, you’ll be issued a certificate of change of name and this, not the newspaper clipping in your old file, is your actual proof.
Why This Actually Matters Beyond the Paperwork
It’s tempting to read all this as bureaucratic box-ticking, but the practical stakes are real. Banks have started asking for Gazette evidence rather than accepting an old newspaper cutting, meaning anyone who changed their name the “old way” and hasn’t caught up may find themselves stuck at a KYC desk, unable to update an account in their married name or corrected name, with no idea why the document they’ve relied on for years is suddenly being rejected.
This isn’t a women-only issue either, despite how the conversation around it usually gets framed. Men change names for religious reasons, to correct clerical errors on certificates, or simply to formalise a name they’ve used informally for years. Whatever the reason, the same procedure now applies to everyone.
A Word on Timing
If you’re planning to change your surname after marriage, or you’ve been meaning to correct a long-standing discrepancy between your birth certificate and other documents, it’s worth handling this sooner rather than later, particularly as the NPC continues to formalise and digitise its process. There’s also been talk of lawyers needing specific accreditation to prepare Deed Polls once an online portal is fully rolled out, similar to how lawyers are accredited for CAC filings. If that comes into effect, it may add a layer of process on top of what exists today, another reason not to leave this until it becomes more complicated than it needs to be.
If You’ve Already Done the “Old” Process
If your only evidence of a name change is an affidavit and a newspaper clipping, the Supreme Court’s position is that this was never legally effective in the first place, which means the fix isn’t a correction to your existing paperwork; it’s starting the proper process from scratch: Deed Poll, NPC submission, Gazette publication.
It’s an inconvenient thing to learn, especially if you’ve built years of documentation around the old process. But better to find out now, on your own terms, than at a bank counter or during a passport renewal when it’s least convenient.
Talk to a Lawyer Before You Start
Because the Deed Poll must be prepared by a legal practitioner and properly sealed, this isn’t a DIY process the way the old affidavit route arguably was. A lawyer can also help you navigate the NPC submission correctly the first time, rather than having an incomplete application bounce back and forth.
This article reflects the procedure as set out in P.D.P. v. Degi-Eremienyo and related commentary at the time of writing. Submission channels, fees, and portal requirements at the National Population Commission are still evolving, always confirm the current process directly with the NPC or a qualified legal practitioner before proceeding.