As the Supreme Court’s Notary Public application portal remains open following its launch on April 1, 2026, with a deadline of June 30, a wave of complaints has emerged from legal practitioners across Nigeria who say the ₦100,000 non-refundable application fee is simply too high — particularly for those in the early and middle stages of their careers.
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A practicing lawyer with over seven years at the bar, who wished to remain anonymous for professional reasons, captured the frustration felt by many of his colleagues when he spoke out publicly against the fee.
“This fee feels like it’s hacking away at our pockets despite the tough economic situation in Nigeria. We’ve already fulfilled the seven-year practicing fee requirement to even qualify. Now, on top of that, a non-refundable ₦100,000 just to apply?”
The lawyer argued that the fee is particularly burdensome because it comes on top of seven years of consistently paid NBA practicing fees and branch dues — payments that already represent a significant cumulative investment by any lawyer who reaches the point of eligibility for the Notary Public appointment.
“Many of us are struggling with high inflation, rising living costs, and a naira that has faced significant pressure in recent years. This comes across as insensitive to the realities facing junior and mid-level practitioners.”
At the heart of the lawyers’ complaint is what they see as a double financial burden. To be eligible to apply for appointment as a Notary Public, a lawyer must have consistently paid their annual practicing fees to the Nigerian Bar Association for at least seven consecutive years. These practicing fees, which vary by branch and seniority, already represent a significant annual expense for many practitioners.
Having met that requirement — effectively proving seven years of unbroken commitment to the profession — applicants are then asked to pay an additional ₦100,000 as a non-refundable application fee. This means that even if an application is unsuccessful, the ₦100,000 is gone with no possibility of a refund.
For lawyers who have spent years building their practices in an increasingly difficult economy, the combination feels punitive rather than supportive. The complaint is not about the principle of paying a fee — most lawyers accept that there should be some cost associated with the process — but about the amount in the context of the current economic reality.
“We respect the need for qualified Notaries, but the system should consider the economic hardship. Seven years of paid practicing fees should demonstrate commitment — the extra ₦100k feels like an unnecessary hurdle right now.”
The complaints cannot be separated from the broader economic context in which Nigerian lawyers are operating. While Nigeria’s headline inflation rate has eased to around 15% in early 2026, the lingering effects of years of high inflation, the removal of fuel subsidies, and the naira’s significant depreciation have fundamentally altered the purchasing power and financial stability of professionals across all sectors.
For lawyers in private practice — the very category required to apply for Notary Public appointment — the economic squeeze has been particularly acute. Many young and mid-level practitioners operate small firms or solo practices where income is unpredictable and overheads continue to rise. Chamber rents, transportation costs, case filing fees, legal research subscriptions, and the annual NBA practicing fees all compete for limited resources.
Against this backdrop, an additional ₦100,000 non-refundable outlay — with no guarantee of success — represents a significant financial risk that many eligible lawyers are simply not in a position to take.
A key element fuelling the discontent is the non-refundable nature of the fee. Unlike a deposit or a conditional fee that might be returned if an application is unsuccessful, the ₦100,000 is explicitly stated to be non-refundable. This means that a lawyer who pays the fee, submits a complete application, and is ultimately not appointed will receive nothing back.
For a senior practitioner with a well-established practice, ₦100,000 may be a manageable expense. But for a lawyer who has been at the bar for seven to ten years and is still building their career — precisely the category most likely to view a Notary Public appointment as a meaningful step in professional advancement — the risk of losing ₦100,000 on an unsuccessful application is a genuine deterrent.
Critics argue that the non-refundable policy effectively transforms the application process into a gamble: pay ₦100,000 for a chance at appointment, knowing that your money is gone regardless of the outcome. This, they say, discourages applications from qualified but financially constrained lawyers and undermines the accessibility of the appointment.
The complaint is not an isolated one. Calls for affordability in professional licensing have grown louder on legal forums, social media platforms, and within NBA branch discussions in recent months. Many lawyers have taken to platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook legal groups, and WhatsApp lawyer forums to voice similar frustrations about the fee.
The arguments being made by practitioners across the country follow a consistent pattern: the seven-year practicing fee requirement already serves as a rigorous filter for commitment and seriousness. Adding a ₦100,000 non-refundable fee on top of that, in the current economy, creates an unnecessary financial barrier that may exclude otherwise qualified, competent, and deserving lawyers from seeking appointment.
Some lawyers have called on the Nigerian Bar Association to formally intervene on their behalf and advocate for a reduction in the fee or, at minimum, a review of the non-refundable policy. Others have called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria directly, noting that the Notaries Public Act gives the CJN the authority to set or adjust fees.
Not everyone agrees with the complaints. Some senior practitioners and observers have argued that the ₦100,000 fee is appropriate given the significance of the Notary Public appointment. Notaries Public are officers of the Supreme Court with the authority to authenticate documents for use in international transactions — a role that carries considerable responsibility and prestige.
Defenders of the fee contend that a meaningful financial commitment at the application stage helps to ensure that only serious and committed applicants put themselves forward. They argue that reducing the fee or making it refundable could flood the system with speculative applications, making the process more difficult to administer and potentially diluting the quality of appointments.
However, even some who support the principle of an application fee have acknowledged that ₦100,000 may be too high in the current economic environment and have suggested that a lower amount could achieve the same objective of filtering out unserious applicants without excluding financially constrained but otherwise qualified lawyers.
As the June 30, 2026 application deadline approaches, the calls for a review of the ₦100,000 fee show no signs of abating. Lawyers and professional bodies are urging the following actions:
- The Chief Justice of Nigeria should exercise the authority under the Notaries Public Act to review and reduce the application fee to a level that is fair and accessible in the current economic climate.
- The non-refundable policy should be reconsidered. A partial refund for unsuccessful applicants would remove the element of financial risk that currently deters many eligible lawyers from applying.
- The Nigerian Bar Association should formally take up the issue and advocate on behalf of its members for a fee structure that balances the need for quality control with the economic realities facing practitioners.
- A payment plan or instalment option should be considered to ease the financial burden on applicants who may not be able to pay ₦100,000 as a lump sum.
As of the time of publication, no immediate changes have been announced in response to the growing feedback. The Nigerian Bar Association has not yet issued an official statement on the specific complaint, and the Supreme Court’s fee remains at ₦100,000, non-refundable.
For now, eligible lawyers across Nigeria face a difficult choice: pay the ₦100,000 and apply before the June 30 deadline, or hold out in the hope that the growing chorus of criticism will prompt a review — knowing that if no change comes, they will have missed the 2026 application cycle entirely.
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