Informational only, not legal advice. Have high-value or high-risk agreements reviewed by a licensed attorney.
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This Deed of Gift formally and irrevocably transfers the ownership of a motor vehicle from the Donor to the Donee without any monetary consideration. It serves as legal proof of a gratuitous transfer and is essential for updating vehicle registration records in Nigeria.
SIGNATURES
Donor — Signature
Printed Name: ________________________
Date: ______________
Witness to Donor — Signature
Printed Name: ________________________
Date: ______________
Donee — Signature
Printed Name: ________________________
Date: ______________
Witness to Donee — Signature
Printed Name: ________________________
Date: ______________
Before Me (Commissioner for Oaths / Notary Public / Magistrate) — Signature
Printed Name: ________________________
Date: ______________
Handing a car to a family member without money changing hands still needs paperwork in Nigeria — a Deed of Gift is what proves the transfer was voluntary and complete, which matters when the recipient later tries to update the vehicle's particulars in their own name.
It's the document that confirms the donor's intent to permanently give up the vehicle and the donee's acceptance of it, with no payment involved — that gratuitous nature is the whole point, and it's what distinguishes a Deed of Gift from a Bill of Sale. Common scenarios are a parent gifting a car to a child, one spouse to another, or a donation to a charitable organization. The distinction matters for tax purposes too, since a genuine gift is treated differently from a sale for Capital Gains Tax purposes, though the specifics are worth confirming with a tax professional given how each donor's acquisition history can affect their own position.
There's no separate government form for vehicle gifts; the National Road Traffic Regulations 2012 handles change of ownership generally through Form MVA 5, and the Deed of Gift (or a sworn Gift Affidavit covering the same ground) is what supports that application when no sale price exists to document. A properly drafted deed needs the full names, addresses, and valid ID of both donor and donee, complete vehicle details (make, model, year, colour, plate number, chassis and engine numbers), an explicit statement that the transfer is a gift with no consideration — often phrased as "in consideration of love and affection" — and the donor's warranty that they're the true owner and the vehicle is free of undisclosed liens.
Both parties need to sign, and the document should be witnessed — ideally by two people unconnected to the gift — with notarization or swearing before a Commissioner for Oaths giving it real weight for MVAA purposes. Stamp duty typically applies too. Once signed, the donee has to notify the relevant state MVAA within 30 days using Form MVA 5, along with the original registration documents, insurance, a roadworthiness certificate, and police or CMR clearance; missing that window can mean fines and leaves the donor technically liable for a vehicle they no longer possess.
One point worth being clear on: once a Deed of Gift is properly executed and the vehicle handed over and accepted, the gift is generally irrevocable under Nigerian law. A donor can't simply ask for it back later unless the gift was made under fraud, duress, or a condition that was genuinely breached — and even then, that's something a court would need to establish, not a unilateral decision.
Without a signed Deed of Gift, a vehicle handed over as a gift can sit in limbo at the MVAA, since the office has no record showing the previous owner actually agreed to give it up.