One of the requirements for any vehicle to ply a road in Nigeria is the possession of a plate number for that vehicle affixed to its front and rear. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) bears the responsibility of issuing plate numbers to qualified road users. Generally, number plates in Nigeria measure 6.0 × 11. 8 inches, and contain the Flag of Nigeria, the coat of arms, a state name and slogan (including Abuja) and a unique alphanumeric ID. However, there are different types for different purposes. This article will discuss the different plate numbers in Nigeria.
The types of plate numbers in Nigeria would be discussed below:
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Government Number Plate
Government number plates are specifically granted to vehicles that are used primarily for government duties. Government number plates have a white background with the lettering of the number in green.
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Commercial Number Plate
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) issues commercial number plates to vehicles intended for business purposes. These vehicles may be used to transport goods or pay passengers within Nigeria. Common types of vehicles that use commercial number plates In Nigeria include rental cars, taxis, delivery vehicles, mass transit buses, school buses, cargo vans, flat beds, moving trucks, fire trucks, septic trucks and construction and similar heavy vehicles. The distinguishing feature of commercial number plates issued by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is that they have a white background with lettering in red; however, the name of the State and its slogan is in black.
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Private Number Plate
The FRSC issues private number plates to Individuals with vehicles intended solely for private purposes. Vehicles with private number plates affixed to them are to be used for transporting property or persons under the circumstances that no charge would be paid for such transportation. Private number plates have a white background with the lettering in blue, however, the name of the State and slogan are in black.
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Special Number Plate
In Nigeria, highly placed individuals, celebrities, or anyone with money apply to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to be granted the privilege of a Special number plate (also known as a Personal or Customized number plate) for several reasons including making their vehicles more distinctive and easily recognizable, creating an impression of style and class, and advertising a brand. Special number plates can contain whatever the owner of the vehicle wishes to be written on it, however, profane, offensive or obscene messages aren’t permitted. It’s a status symbol on the highways. The application process is similar to the other types of number plates only that it costs more.
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Diplomatic Number Plate
Diplomatic number plates in Nigeria are in three different categories namely; Corps Diplomatique, Corps Consulate and Corps Technique. The Corps Diplomatique number plate is issued to ambassadors and diplomatic staff of countries with bilateral relationships with Nigeria. This type of number plate is easily recognized as it differs from the other type of number plates discussed in this article. Instead of the state name, this type of number plate reads CORPS DIPLOMATIQUE. And instead of a white background, theirs is neon purple, with the lettering white. The first two or three letters of this number plate represent the country of the owner of the car, followed by two letters and numbers.
The other type of diplomatic plate is the Corps Consulate which is issued to the consular corps of embassies in Nigeria. This type of plate number has a brown background with white lettering. Instead of the state name, they bear the Corps Consulate, while the unique plate combination contains two or three letters that represent the country of the owner of the vehicle, followed by three digits and two letters. The third type of diplomatic passport, that is, the Corps Technique is similar to the Corps Diplomatique and Corps Consulate, the difference is they have a navy blue background with white lettering.
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Armed Forces/Paramilitary Number Plate
This type of plate number is only issued to vehicles that are to be used by the paramilitary and armed forces of Nigeria. These number plates can be identified by their white background and black lettering.
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Temporary Number Plate
In Nigeria, temporary number plates are permitted to be affixed to vehicles under certain conditions including the loss of original number plates and the event of purchase of a new vehicle. In the case where the original number plate of a vehicle got lost, the number can use a temporary number plate pending when the processing of a new number plate is complete. Before permission for a temporary plate can be granted, the owner of the vehicle must apply to the licensing authority with an affidavit and a police report.
In the case of the purchase of a new vehicle, the owner can use a temporary plate number in the first three months, however, there must be proof of ownership of the car as well as legit customs and clearing documents of the car. Temporary number plates have a black background with white lettering. There is also another type of temporary plate specifically for cars on sale by registered car dealers to show such cars are legally under sale within Nigeria. In this case, the temporary number would have ‘DLA’ written on it.
The registration process for obtaining any of these aforementioned plate numbers in Nigeria is not stressful. The process begins with completing the application form at https://nvis.frsc.gov.ng/VehicleManagement/RegisterVehicle/. Then take the completed application form alongside a copy of your driver’s license, residential address proof, registration proof of the vehicle, and any supporting document (as instructed) to the nearest Vehicle Licensing Office near you. Visit https://nvis.frsc.gov.ng/Home/approvecenter to discover the approved centres in your state of residence.
The unique format of plate numbers in Nigeria is ‘XYZ234AB’, with ‘XYZ’ representing the Local Government Area where the vehicle registration was done. The following alphanumeric combinations, ‘234AB’, is unique to every vehicle.