Case 01Market entry in Nigeria
Establishing a tax-efficient, incentive-qualified Nigerian subsidiary.
A foreign investor entering Nigeria needed more than an incorporation. It needed a local company structured from the first day to qualify for incentives and to operate without regulatory friction.
- Client
- Foreign investor (confidential)
- Sector
- Foreign direct investment
- Practice
- Corporate & Commercial
- Jurisdiction
- Nigeria
The brief
Our client had decided to enter the Nigerian market and wanted a subsidiary that would be efficient from a tax perspective and eligible for the incentives available to qualifying investments.
The task was to turn that decision into an operating company: incorporated, licensed, housed, staffed and registered, with every step sequenced so that no later requirement undid an earlier choice.
Our advice
- 01
Structure and incentives
Designing the subsidiary and its capitalisation so that it met the conditions for the investment incentives available to it.
- 02
Licences and permits
Identifying and processing the operating licences and regulatory permits the business required.
- 03
Property
Negotiating and reviewing the lease for the company’s premises.
- 04
Employment
Drafting employment agreements for the local team in line with Nigerian labour law.
- 05
Partnerships
Drafting and negotiating the partnership agreements that underpin the company’s local operations.
- 06
Tax registration
Completing the subsidiary’s tax registrations so that it could invoice and operate from the outset.
Outcome
The client entered Nigeria through a single, coherent structure: a subsidiary positioned for incentives, with its licences, premises, people, partners and tax affairs in place.