Foreign Participation Flashcards
Mention 7 legal frameworks and their bodies
- Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA),cap C20 LFN 2020 — Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
- Federal high court act — federal high court
- National agency for technology acquisition and promotion Act — NOTAP
- National investment promotion commission act — NIPC
- Investment and securities act - securities and exchange commission
- Foreign exchange (monitoring and miscellaneous) act — central banks of Nigeria
- Immigration act — Nigerian immigration service
- Customs and excise management act —board of customs
- Stamp duties act — federal inland revenue service
Modes of foreign participation
- Foreign direct investment
- Foreign portfolio investment
- Exempted companies
Explain foreign direct investment
This is where foreign investors decide to do business in Nigeria by incorporating a company in Nigeria either solely or through joint venture with Nigerians
Conditions for FDI
- The foreigner must be in Nigeria or have an address for service
- Acquisition of landed property
- Incorporation of the company with CAC
- CERPAC Application
Procedure for FDI / procedure for establishing a business in Nigeria
- Obtain cable visa subject to regularisation for owners and officers of the company
- Secure a place of address for service of document and other notices for the
incorporation of the company. - Prepare and execute joint venture agreement or other pre incorporation contracts
- Conduct availability search and reservation of name.
- incorporate the company with CAC and obtain certificate of incorporation or letter of exemption
6.Import capital/funds through an Authorized Dealer (i.e. Approved Bank and obtain
Certificate of Capital Importation issued by CBN.
- Register the company with Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission.
- Apply to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for registration of interest of
foreigner in the shares of the company. - Obtain relevant permits from the relevant Regulatory Agencies and
What is foreign portfolio investment
This is the purchasing of shares in existing public companies by foreign investors S 21 NIPC act
Conditions for FPI
- SEC must be notified
- The shares can only be acquired from quoted public company
Procedure for FPI
- Application for allotment of shares by the foreign investors or a capital market operator to the Nigerian company directly at primary market
- Approval for allotment of share by the board of directors
- Importation of capital through an authorized dealer and obtain certificate of of capital importation issued by CBN then pay for the shares R 408 sec
- Obtain share certificate from the company’s registrar
5 Apply to SEC for registration of security in form SEC 6f accompanied by a prescribed fee
Prohibited business or business in the negative list
- Production of arms and ammunition
- Production of service uniforms
- Production of narcotics s17 NIPC act
Assurance to foreign investors
- Effective dispute resolution mechanisms
- Repatriation of profits to their home county
- Importation of foreign capital through an authorized dealer
4 they are free to do any business except those in the negative list - Investment incentives and reliefs are available for qualified investors
- Interest accruing from such loan will not be taxed.
What are exempted companies list them
exempted companies are company’s that are able to practice business in Nigeria without being duly incorporated s 80(1) CAMA
CATEGORIES: S78CAMA provides that for a company to carry out business in Nigeria it must be duly incorporated
1. Foreign companies invited to Nigeria with the consent of the federal government to execute a specified individual project
2. Foreign companies in Nigeria for the execution of a specific individual loan project on behalf of a donor organization or agency
- Foreign government owned companies engaged solely in export promotion activities
- Engineering consultants and technical experts on the invitation of the president or government agency or individual
Result of Failure to incorporate a company
All contract entered by the company is void and a nullity
a. Commission of an offence and is liable to prosecution and the company is liable to such penalty as the commission shall specify
b. And every officer ,agent who permits the default is liable on conviction to such penalty as the commission shall specify
Application for exemption
A letter of exemption is addressed to the minister of trade, industry and investment with document attached
The minister of trade or secretary to the government of the federation considers the application for approval
Once the application is granted the company is issued a certificate of exemption
Then the company registers with NIPC
And any other relevant registration that may be required
Document to be attached to the application for exemption to the minister of trade industry and investment
- Name and place of the foreign companiy outside Nigeria
- name and place of The proposed business in Nigeria
- particulars of each director, partner or other principal officer of the foreign company
- A certified copy of the charter, statutes or memoart of the company
- Particulars of one or more person resident in Nigeria to accept service of processes and any notice to be served on the company’s behalf
- business or proposed business of the foreign company an duration of Such businesses
- Particulars of any project previously carried out by the company as an exempted foreign company
- Such other particulars as may be required by the secretary of the federal government S 80(2)
STATUS OF AN EXEMPTED COMPANY
a)An Exempted Foreign Company has the status of an Unregistered Company. S. CAMA. The effect is that the company is exempted from payment of all company taxes.
b)An exempted company can only execute the project contained in the exemption order, if it intends to carry out any other project; it must take steps to be incorporated with CAC; section CAMA.
c)An exempted company must deliver/file Annual Reports with the CAC in the prescribed form- S. CAMA
however an unregistered foreign company can sue and be sued in nigeria where liable S84 CAMA FABNO INDUSTRIES LTD V UNITED DISTILLERS PLC