Seven (7) Reasons for Change of Name in Nigeria: Why Nigerians Legally Alter Their Identities

IntroductionIn Nigeria, changing one's name is a common legal process governed by statutes like the Marriage Act and recent Supreme Court rulings emphasizing proper documentation via Deed Poll and Gazette publication. Many Nigerians pursue this for personal, cultural, or practical reasons. Whether through marriage, divorce, or other motivations, a legal name change ensures consistency across documents like passports, NIN, BVN, and certificates. Here are the primary reasons for change of name in Nigeria.
Seven (7) Reasons for Change of Name in Nigeria: Why Nigerians Legally Alter Their Identities1. Marriage and Adoption of Spouse's SurnameThe most frequent reason is marriage. Women often adopt their husband's surname or combine it with their maiden name to symbolize unity, a new beginning, or family harmony. This is culturally significant and simplifies family identity. Men rarely change surnames but may add titles or adjust for alignment. Post-marriage, a court-issued marriage certificate supports the change, updating official records seamlessly.2. Divorce or SeparationAfter divorce, many revert to maiden names for emotional closure, legal clarity, or to sever ties with the ex-spouse. This protects inheritance rights and avoids confusion in future dealings. Decree absolute from court facilitates the process.3. Religious Conversion or Spiritual ReasonsReligious shifts prompt name changes. Converts to Christianity or Islam may adopt biblical/Quranic names or anglicized/Arabic ones for spiritual alignment. Some change due to spiritual convictions, discarding names deemed "undesirable" or tied to past beliefs.4. Cultural, Traditional, or Ancestral AlignmentNigerians may alter names to better reflect ethnic heritage, correct misspellings from colonial eras, or honor ancestral roots. Disowning a parent or resolving paternity issues also drives changes, especially when names cause social exclusion.5. Personal Preference or Identity ReclamationIndividuals seek fresh starts for self-expression, career demands, or dissatisfaction with birth names. Gender transition, professional branding, or simply desiring a more appealing name are valid. As long as it's not fraudulent, personal choice is accepted.6. Correction of Errors or IrregularitiesBirth certificate mistakes, inconsistencies in school records, or BVN mismatches necessitate changes. This ensures accurate identity for banking, employment, and travel.7. Adoption or Other Life EventsAdopted children or those in blended families change names for unity. Nationality changes or international needs also factor in. Name changes must be legitimate — no fraudulent intent, criminal evasion, or illegal purposes. The process involves a Deed Poll, newspaper publication, Gazette notification, and updates to agencies like NIMC.
ConclusionReasons for change of name in Nigeria range from marital transitions and religious shifts to personal empowerment and error fixes. Legal compliance via Deed Poll protects rights and prevents disputes. Consult a lawyer for guidance to ensure smooth processing.

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Seven (7) Reasons for the Adoption of Federalism in Nigeria

INTRO: Federalism has been approached with variegated definitions to the extent that one might argue that there are as much definitions of federalism as there are authors on the subject. This notwithstanding, the concept of federalism boasts of a very popular definition by an American scholar, K.C. Wheare who contends that it is a system where powers are shared between central and regional governments so that each is in a sphere cordinate and independent. Reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria include: 1. The Plural nature of Nigeria : Nigeria is a plural society of over 250 tongues and tribes. Besides the Big Three - Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba, there are other macro and micro ethnic minorities in the country. Federalism was favoured among other systems of government in a bid to allay both fancied and real fears of domination among the minorities. 2. The Size of Nigeria : This is another reason for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria. With the total area of...

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Seven (7) Reasons for the Colonization of Nigeria

INTRO: Colonialism is a consistent theme in the history of Africa. It laces through the formative tapestry of the majority of African states today, Nigeria inclusive. Colonialism as a concept could be seen from different perspectives. Generally however, it may be defined as the practice or policy of controling a weaker nation by a stronger nation especially for socio-economic and political gains. The territory known today as Nigeria was colonized by Britain. The reasons for the colonization of Nigeria are simply the same with the rest of African countries. In his masterpiece, "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa," Walter Rodney stated that Europe came to Africa with three Bs: Business, Bible and Bullet. These items represent perfectly the reasons for the notorious European incursion into the pristine and tranquil African continent, which are broadly categorized as economic, socio-political and religious reasons. A. Economic Reasons 1) Search for Raw Material : The ...

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Nine (9) Reasons for the Adoption of Indirect Rule in Nigeria by Britain

INTRO: The British colonial administrative policy in Nigeria known as the indirect rule was devised and adopted by the renowned British colonial officer, Lord Lugard, (although, there were semblances of the policy before Lugard). Lord Lugard was appointed the High Commissioner of the Northern Protectorate in 1900 following the revocation of the royal charter in the same year. The royal charter was given to the Royal Niger Company (RNC) in 1888 by the British government, to act on behalf of the government, chiefly towards instituting effective occupation in the colonies, as resolved in the Berlin Conference of 1884/85. Simply put, indirect rule is an administrative system in which the British colonial officials administered Nigeria through the intermediaries, the native authorities. According to Murray (1973, p. 1), indirect rule was an administrative policy that utilized native customs, traditions, institutions and people by fitting them into the British framework of colonial ad...

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Seven (7) Reasons for and Causes of Political Apathy in Nigeria

INTRO: Simply put, political apathy means lack of interest in politics, i.e. the activities of the state. More often than not, voter apathy is used interchangeably with political apathy. The interchangeable usage is understandable because voting is the hallmark of political participation, but then, it is careless to do so. As a matter of fact, every voter apathy is political apathy, but not every political apathy is voter apathy. Voter apathy is a subset of political apathy, together with other subsets of political apathy such interest apathy, and information apathy. A voter apathetic person does not go to cast vote in an election, interest apathetic person does not show interest in political activities such as referendum, demonstration, or rally, etc., and information apathetic person does not go for political news, or engage in political discussion. From the foregoing, it is observable that political apathy is the opposite of political participation. Democracies all over the wor...

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Seven (7) Reasons for and Factors of the Nationalist Struggle in Nigeria

INTRO: Nationalism has semantic nuances which range from patriotism to struggle for independence. As a matter of fact, all attitudes and actions for preservation of national identity and/or achievement of political independence are nationalism. Thus, xenophobia, ethnicity, terrorism, irredentism, separatism, and similar issues, all things being equal, are nationalist in nature. The term “nationalism” therefore is generally used to describe two phenomena : (i) the attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their national identity, and (ii) the actions that the members of a nation take when seeking to achieve (or sustain) self-determination. Nationalism in Nigeria was directed against the colonial masters, first by the notable Nigerian chiefs who resisted, although unsuccessful, the loss of the sovereignty of their kingdoms, chiefdoms, and societies. Worthy of mention was ...

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Nine (9) Reasons for the Creation of Local Government in Nigeria

INTRO : The nature and character of l ocal government in Nigeria today (except for few infractions) is largely the product of the 1976 Local Government Reform by the Murtala/Obasanjo regime. The Reform is marked with bringing uniformity to the cacophony and disharmony that once reigned on local government system in Nigeria. In the 1976 Local Government Reform Guidelines, the Federal Government of Nigeria defined local government as “Government at local levels exercised through representative councils established by law to exercise specific powers within defined areas.” The powers which the local representative councils can exercise within their jurisdiction are local affairs “(including staffing) and institutional and financial powers to initiate and to determine and implement projects so as to compliment the activities of the state and federal government in their areas, and ensure through devolution of functions to those councils and through the active participation of the people...

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Five (5) Reasons for the January 15 1966 Coup in Nigeria

INTRO: The January 15, 1966 military coup in Nigeria happened because of corruption by the officials, Western Nigeria crisis, intention to install Awolowo as the Head of State, the domino effect from coups outside Nigeria, and personal ambition of the coup plotters for joining the army. It was the first military coup in Nigeria. In its simplest terms, coup d'etat can be defined as the unconstitutional and violent overthrow of an incumbent government, especially, by the armed forces. Coup d'etat is more often than not, treated with scorn in the international comity of nations perhaps because it is believed that military in politics is an aberration. Nigeria, this central disapproval of military rule notwithstanding, has witnessed several coups and counter coups starting from January 15, 1966 when the military made its debut in the politics of the country. The coup toppled the coalition government of Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) and National Congress of Nigerian Citizens ...

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Authors Give the Reasons Why Students Join Cults in Nigeria

Cultism in Nigeria is a pervasive social issue deeply entrenched in the nation’s socio-economic and cultural fabric. This phenomenon, particularly widespread in educational institutions, neighborhoods, and even political arenas, is marked by violent behaviors, initiation rites, and criminal activities. Its origins, as documented, trace back to 1952 with the establishment of the Seadog Confraternity (also known as the Pirates) by Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka and six others at the University of Ibadan . Initially set up as a peaceful and non-violent confraternity, it later evolved into secret cults characterized by violence and bizarre rituals. Today, cultism has morphed into a significant challenge in Nigeria, driven by a range of factors that appeal to different segments of the population. One of the primary reasons students join cults is peer pressure and social influence. In schools, students often face immense pressure from friends or acquaintances to join cult groups, esp...

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Six (6) Reasons for the Relocation of Nigeria's Capital City from Lagos to Abuja

INTRO: Several countries of the world have experimented with changing of the location of their capital cities. Countries such as Brazil moved her capital city from Rio de Janeiro to the built-for-the-purpose Brasilia in 1961; Kazakhstan moved from Almaty to Astana in 1997; and Cote d'Ivoire moved from Abijan to Yamoussoukro in 1983. In the year 1991, Nigeria joined the ranks of countries that for one reason or another relocated their capital cities when she moved her capital city from Lagos to Abuja. The move was initiated in 1975 by the military government of General Murtala Mohammed when he set up a 7-man panel under the chairmanship of Dr. Akinola Aguda to examine the issue of a new capital city for Nigeria. The panel after their studies recommended Abuja and the military government under Decree No. 6 of 1976 established the Federal Capital Development Authority to midwife the planning, designing and developing of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The ...

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Nine (9) Reasons for and Causes of the Electoral Malpractices in Nigeria

INTRO : One of the features of the Nigerian democracy is periodic elections which come at the intervals of four years. Hence, there were general elections in Nigeria in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 as at the time of this article. There are many component elections in a general election viz.: Presidential election, gubernatorial elections (i.e. governorship elections), National Assembly elections (i.e. the elections of the members of the Houses of Representatives and Senate), and State Assembly elections (i.e. the elections of the members of Houses of Assembly of the States of the Federation). Since 1999, electoral malpractices have tainted these variegated elections in Nigeria. Electoral malpractices simply mean “illegalities committed by government, officials responsible for the conduct of elections, political parties, groups or individuals with sinister intention to influence an election in favour of a candidate(s).” (Ezeani, 2005, p. 415). These illegalities incl...

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