The Federal High Court of Nigeria has launched an Electronic Court Management System (ECMS) e-Affidavit Portal, enabling citizens to obtain court affidavits entirely online without visiting any court premises. The platform allows users to register, fill application forms, upload supporting documents, make payment, and receive a verified affidavit from any internet-enabled device.
What the e-Affidavit Portal Offers
The portal covers over a dozen affidavit types, including name changes, date of birth corrections, loss of documents, banking declarations, and marriage declarations. It operates under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, and every issued affidavit carries a unique barcode and reference number for verification purposes.
Applicants pay a fee starting from N1,797, though the exact amount may vary depending on the specific service selected. After processing and approval, a verified copy is sent to the applicant's registered email address.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Step 1: Create an account. Visit the Federal High Court's ECMS portal and register with your full name, phone number, date of birth, email address, and a password. The name entered at this stage will appear on the final affidavit, so accuracy is essential.
Step 2: Complete your profile. After logging in, fill in details such as native town, residential address, occupation, National Identification Number (NIN), state of origin, gender, religion, and date of birth. Upload a passport photograph and a valid identity document at this stage.
Step 3: Choose your affidavit type. Select from categories including statutory declarations of age, loss of documents, good conduct, next of kin, guardianship, bachelorhood and spinsterhood, banking affidavits (non-indebtedness, single account ownership), and institutional affidavits (hostel accommodation, non-membership of secret cults or militant groups).
Step 4: Fill the required form. For a date of birth correction, provide the wrong date, the correct date, and the reason for correction. Also select your preferred Federal High Court division from locations across Nigeria's states and Abuja.
Step 5: Upload required documents. A recent passport photograph, a valid means of identification (NIN, international passport, driver's licence, or voter's card), and a signature (uploaded or drawn on the platform) are needed. Each file must not exceed 300KB.
Step 6: Review your information. Use the preview option to check all details carefully. The portal states that payments are final, non-refundable, and non-transferable, making this step critical.
Payment, Processing, and Delivery
After submission, the portal directs applicants to pay electronically via Paystack or Remita. A fee of N1,797 was displayed for the affidavit reviewed for this report, though the amount may vary based on the service selected.
Once payment is confirmed and the application is processed, the completed affidavit can be downloaded through the portal. A copy is also delivered to the applicant's registered email address.
Important Deadlines and Legal Warnings
Applicants whose submissions are flagged for additional information must respond within 72 hours. Failure to respond or complete payment within the given period can lead to automatic deletion of the application, requiring the applicant to start over with a fresh payment.
The court warns that falsifying, altering, or misusing an affidavit issued through the portal is a criminal offence and may attract legal consequences.
