Only 314 worship centres have licence to conduct wedding, most marriages are illegal – FG

Most marriages done in religious houses in Nigeria could be considered illegal as the Federal Government has revealed that most worship centres administering marriages in the country lack the license to do so under the statutory Marriage Act.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Barr. Georgina E. Ehuriah declared this Wednesday in Abuja while addressing at a one-day stakeholders’ conference on the conduct of statutory marriages in accordance with the Marriage Act cap, M6, LFN 2004 as amended.

“At present, only about 4, 689 licensed places of worship in Nigeria have updated their records with the Ministry of Interior, of which only 314 have renewed their licenses.

“The implication of this is that marriages conducted in unlicensed places of worship are not in line with the Marriage Act and cannot serve legal purposes when the need arises, and such unlicensed places of worship are operating contrary to Section 6(1) of the Marriage Act,” she said.