How to get Federal High Court affidavit online without visiting court

Nigerians can now obtain affidavits from the Federal High Court without travelling to any court premises, thanks to the court’s Electronic Court Management System (ECMS) e-Affidavit Portal.

The fully digital platform allows applicants to register, complete forms, upload documents, make payment and download a verified affidavit from anywhere with an internet connection.

The portal was set up to deliver a secure and efficient process for affidavit applications and related court services. It operates under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.

The process, obtained from the Federal High Court’s e-Affidavit Portal on Sunday, shows that applicants can access a range of affidavits covering name changes, correction of dates of birth, loss of documents, change of signature, next of kin, marriage, banking and other purposes.

The portal also provides applicants with a means of tracking their applications and downloading completed affidavits after payment and approval.

Here is how to apply:

1. Create an account

Applicants are required to register on the Federal High Court’s Electronic Court Management System portal at https://portal.fhc.gov.ng/.

During registration, users are asked to provide their full name, phone number, date of birth, email address and a password.

The name entered should be the name that the applicant wants to appear on the affidavit.

After registration, the applicant should log in to the portal and select the affidavit module.

2. Complete your profile

Before starting a new affidavit application, applicants are required to complete their affidavit profile.

The portal requests information including the applicant’s native town, residential address, occupation, NIN, country of origin, state of origin, gender, religion and date of birth.

Applicants are also required to upload a passport photograph and an identity card.

The Federal High Court advises applicants to ensure that all information supplied is accurate before saving the profile.

3. Choose the type of affidavit

After completing the profile, applicants can access the list of available affidavit services.

The portal offers several categories, including:

1. Name change: Affidavit of Change of Name, Correction of Name and Harmonisation of Name(s)
2. Date of birth: Statutory Declaration of Age, Declaration of Age for a Minor and Correction of Date of Birth.
3. Loss and incidents: Loss of Items, Burglary, Theft, Robbery, Damage, Missing Person and other related affidavits.
4. Identity and personal matters: Good Conduct, Next of Kin, Guardianship, Verification of Address and State of Origin.
5. Marriage: Bachelorhood, Marriage Declaration, Spinsterhood and Non-impediment.
6. Banking: Change of Bank Phone Number, Non-Indebtedness and Single Account Ownership.
7. General purpose: Authorisation, Transfer of Ownership, Claim of Ownership, Sponsorship, Affidavit of Means and others.
8. Institutional affidavits: Good Conduct and Non-Membership of Secret Cult/Terrorist/Militant Group, Hostel Accommodation and other applications.
9. There are also options for affidavits relating to academic documents, political office candidacy and other institutional purposes.

4. Fill out the application

After selecting an affidavit, the applicant is taken to the relevant application form.

Depending on the affidavit selected, the form may require the applicant to provide personal details, the purpose of the affidavit and information specific to the application.

For example, an application for correction of date of birth requires the applicant to state the reason for the correction, the wrong date of birth and the correct date of birth.

Applicants are also required to provide their email address and phone number and select a preferred Federal High Court.

The available court options include Federal High Court divisions in different states and Abuja.

5. Upload the required documents

The portal requires applicants to provide a recent passport photograph, a valid means of identification and a signature, which can be uploaded or drawn.

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Accepted identification documents include a National Identification Number, international passport, driver’s licence or voter’s card.

The portal states that uploaded passport photographs, identification cards and signatures must meet its specifications, with each file limited to 300KB in the application form reviewed.

6. Preview the application

After entering the required information, applicants should click the preview option to review their application.

The preview displays the information supplied, including the applicant’s name, identification details, affidavit information, contact details and selected court.

Applicants should carefully check the information at this stage before submitting the application because the portal states that payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable.

7. Agree to the terms and submit

After checking the information, the applicant must agree to the portal’s terms and conditions and consent to the processing of personal data in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

The application can then be submitted.

8. Pay the required fee

The portal then directs applicants to make payment electronically.

The payment options include Paystack and Remita.

The application reviewed for this report displayed a fee of N1,797 for the selected affidavit.

Applicants should, however, confirm the amount displayed for their particular application before making payment, as fees may vary by service or change over time.

The portal warns that payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable.

9. Download the affidavit

After payment and processing, the completed affidavit can be downloaded through the portal, while a copy is also sent to the applicant’s email address.

The Federal High Court says affidavits issued through the portal are protected with unique barcodes and reference numbers that can be used for verification.

Applicants are warned that falsifying, altering or misusing an affidavit constitutes a criminal offence and may attract legal consequences.

Important things applicants should know

The portal says applicants whose applications are queried for additional information or documents must respond within 72 hours.

Failure to make the required payment or respond to a query within the stipulated period can result in automatic deletion of the application without a refund or further notice, after which the applicant would have to start a new application and make a fresh payment.

The portal also says applicants’ personal information, including NIN, passport photographs, signatures and contact details, is collected for affidavit applications, verification and other lawful purposes.

The Federal High Court’s e-Affidavit Portal is available through its Electronic Court Management System. Federal High Court e-Affidavit Portal