Dealing with Construction Permits in
Enugu - Nigeria
Below is a detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse. This includes obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections.
The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business subnational project in Nigeria. Download this Doing Business report or explore other cities and topics.
| No. |
Procedure |
Time to Complete |
Associated Costs |
| 1 |
Obtain a site analysis report from a registered town planner
BuildCo hires a registered town planner to analyze the site and draft a site analysis report (SAR), which details the location, accessibility and topography of the site, as well as the proximity of the site to essential services: electricity source, water source, hospital, commercial area, airport, etc.
|
7 days
|
NGN 20,000
|
| 2 |
Apply for a building approval at the Enugu Town Planning Authority
In order to obtain a building approval, BuildCo must submit a duly completed application form to the Enugu Town Planning Authority, along with the following documents:
a. Proof of ownership (such as a certificate of occupancy);
b. Survey plan (attached to the certificate of occupancy);
c. Four sets of drawings duly signed by a registered architect, including:
- Architectural designs (site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, storm drainage system, construction details, doors and windows schedules);
- Structural designs (design calculations, foundation layout, structural details on beams, columns, staircases, etc.);
- Electrical designs (lighting and power load calculation, power point layout, lighting point layout, schedule of fittings and fixtures);
- Mechanical engineering designs (load calculations, waste disposal layout, soil disposal layout, schedule of sanitary fittings);
e. Site analysis report;
f. Three-year tax clearance certificate;
g. Local Government Area Capitation Rate.
The documents are reviewed by officers of the Enugu Town Planning Authority. The day after the documents have been submitted, the building company is informed about the fees to be paid. An on-site inspection will follow. Once the building approval has been granted, two copies of the drawing are given back to BuildCo to be kept on-site. BuildCo may need to present the stamped copies of its building plans when inspections occur during construction.
|
1 day
|
NGN 55,100 (NGN 100 filing fee + NGN 2,500 registration fee + NGN 15,000 inspection fee + NGN 5,500 building certificate of completion fee + NGN 8,500 stage of work fee + NGN 4,000 ministry fee + NGN 9,500 fencing fee + NGN 10,000 planning fee)
|
| 3 |
Receive a pre-approval inspection from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
After BuildCo's application has been reviewed, the Enugu Town Planning Authority conducts an on-site inspection to verify that the plot reflects the details provided in the drawings and that the land is suitable for the proposed project. The inspectors draft a report in which the plot, roads, setback details, adjoining land and power and water connections are described. The report is then attached to the documents and drawings BuildCo submitted for approval, and forwarded to the Enugu Town Planning Authority for final review and approval.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 4 |
Obtain a building approval from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
After the inspection and the payments have been completed, BuildCo's application is reviewed by the health unit, works department and town planning unit of the Enugu Town Planning Authority. After review, BuildCo's application is recommended to the Chairman of the Town Planning Authority for final approval. In Enugu, a silent-is-consent rule applies: if the building permit approval is not issued within 21 days, the building company can assume that approval has been granted and start construction.
|
18 days
|
No cost
|
| 5 |
Dig a borehole to obtain water
The public water supply system being very unreliable, the common practice is for construction companies to hire the services of a private borehole company to drill and install a borehole of commercial capacity. Enugu's soil being very rich in coal, the water located under the city is unfit for drinking. As a result, boreholes must be sunk outside the city, often in an area called the "Ninth Mile". Most companies have boreholes there and bring water to the site via trucks.
|
14 days
|
NGN 2,000,000
|
| * 6 |
Pay a compensation to the natives
With the Land Use Act of 1978, the government appropriated land on which local tribes lived. Since then, in Enugu, construction companies wishing to develop a project must pay compensation to those natives, and hire some of them as masons or security guards on the site. Cost varies on a case by case basis, and highly depends on the negotiation skills of the construction company.
|
1 day
|
NGN 200,000
|
| 7 |
Receive an inspection at setting out level from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
Once the setting out is complete, BuildCo's architect must notify the Enugu Town Planning Authority. A team of inspectors visits the construction-site to ensure that the project is duly supervised and that the construction follows the specifications mentioned in the building plan previously provided by BuildCo. Construction work does not stop during the inspection. If a problem is identified, the inspection teams issues a stop order requesting the issue to be resolved before construction proceeds further.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 8 |
Receive an inspection at foundation level from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
Once the foundation is complete, BuildCo's architect must notify the Enugu Town Planning Authority. A team of inspectors visits the construction-site to ensure that the project is duly supervised and that the construction follows the specifications mentioned in the building plan previously provided by BuildCo. Construction work does not stop during the inspection. If a problem is identified, the inspection teams issues a stop order requesting the issue to be resolved before construction proceeds further.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 9 |
Receive an inspection at first floor level from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
Once the construction reaches the first floor, BuildCo's architect must notify the Enugu Town Planning Authority that sends a team of inspectors to the construction-site. The purpose of the inspection is to ensure that the related stage has been completed successfully, that the project is duly supervised, and that the construction follows the specifications mentioned in the building plan previously provided by BuildCo. Construction work does not stop during the inspection. If a problem is identified, the inspection teams issues a stop order requesting the issue to be resolved before construction proceeds further.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 10 |
Receive an inspection at second floor level from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
Once the construction reaches the second floor, BuildCo's architect must notify the Enugu Town Planning Authority that sends a team of inspectors to the construction-site. The purpose of the inspection is to ensure that the related stage has been completed successfully, that the project is duly supervised, and that the construction follows the specifications mentioned in the building plan previously provided by BuildCo. Construction work does not stop during the inspection. If a problem is identified, the inspection teams issues a stop order requesting the issue to be resolved before construction proceeds further.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 11 |
Request and receive a final inspection from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
When the construction is complete, BuildCo must apply to the Enugu Town Planning Authority for a certificate of completion and fitness for habitation for habitation. A final inspection follows, during which the Town Planning Authority ensures that BuildCo's warehouse abide by the details provided in the drawings and conforms to the safety/construction standards described in the law.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 12 |
Obtain a certificate of completion from the Enugu Town Planning Authority
After the final inspection, the Enugu Town Planning Authority issues BuildCo a certificate of completion attesting that the construction has been carried out according to the building plans submitted, and that BuildCo can now occupy the building.
|
7 days
|
No cost
|
| * 13 |
Obtain a permanent phone connection
Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the public company historically in charge of providing phone landlines in Nigeria, is no longer functioning. Most Nigerian companies use a cell phone, with a subscription to one of the operators available in the country (MTN, ZAIN, GLO or ETISALAT). The phone line can be connected at any time before and during the construction.
|
1 day
|
NGN 6,000 (handset + connection)
|
| 14 |
Apply to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) for a permanent electricity connection
BuildCo applies for a permanent electricity connection by submitting a form and the relevant company documents to PHCN. On the application form, BuildCo must indicate its consumption capacity as well as the meter (3 phase pre-paid) required. An inspection is then conducted. Payment for the meter is made at a designated bank.
|
1 day
|
NGN 52,500 (3 phase pre-paid meter)
|
| 15 |
Receive an inspection from PHCN and pay the electricity fees at the bank
The PHCN business unit sends out a team to inspect the building. In practice this is usually done on the same day the application is made. After the inspection, BuildCo is given a bill to pay for the meter, which BuildCo must present at a designated bank.
|
1 day
|
No cost
|
| 16 |
Obtain a permanent electricity connection from PHCN
Once the inspection and the payment have been completed, PHCN connects BuildCo's warehouse to electricity. Even though the actual connection can be made in a matter of days, due to supply problems of 3 phase pre-paid meters, it can take longer for the actual meter to arrive. In the meantime, BuildCo pays an estimated consumption monthly fee to PHCN. Except for the application and the inspection, all other electricity related processes are handled by a contractor licensed by LECAN (Licensed Electrical Contractors of Nigeria).
|
33 days
|
No cost
|
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
Data snapshots