NIGERIA INTRODUCES NEW FEDERAL MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

The Nigerian government has introduced a new Federal Marriage Certificate in the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Barr. Georgina Ehuriah, disclosed this on Wednesday 24th July, 2019 at a stakeholders’ conference on the conduct of statutory marriages in Abuja.

She said the certificate will be recognized by all foreign embassies during visa applications.

She advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accept the certificate for the guidance of foreign embassies in Nigeria and Nigerian missions abroad.

She said with the introduction of the new federal marriage certificate, the ministry will be in a good position to respond to enquiries from various interested parties within and outside of Nigeria.

“The ministry is building a database for all statutory marriages conducted in Nigeria” Mrs. Ehuriah said.

She said government at all levels has the responsibility of ensuring the sanctity of marriages by supporting any initiative aimed at promoting compliance with the Act.

The Director, Citizenship and Business at the ministry, Mr. Stephen Okon, said it is important to educate the public on the key requirements of the Marriage Act.

Mr. Stephen Okon stated that the Conference was necessitated by the challenges faced by citizens because of wrong documentation of their marriages which have led to series of litigations. He stated that the conference is aimed at creating more awareness on issues surrounding conduct of valid statutory marriages as well as bringing about conformity with the law and uniformity in the activities of the Registries across the nation.

The workshop has become important to sensitize and educate the public on the need to insist on the conduct of marriages according to the stipulated statutory marriage guideline of the country. The truth is that most of the documents couples are holding as marriage certificates issued by churches, and some other marriage centers are not valid. They hold no legal value in court in case of divorce and the women suffer for it most by losing everything.