CANSEC Nominees
& Secretaries Limited
(An Affiliate of Commercial and Energy Law Practice)
/ About CANSEC
Cansec Nominees and Secretaries Limited (“CANSEC”) is the corporate governance and company secretarial subsidiary of Commercial and Energy Law Practice (CANDELP), a leading commercial law firm in Nigeria. Operating as a fully integrated affiliate of CANDELP, CANSEC provides end-to-end company secretarial, corporate governance and compliance advisory services to companies of all sizes and structures, across a broad range of industries. It also provides trusts, wills and administration of estate services with the aim of entrenching personal succession planning and business continuity in a way that promotes sustainability.

CANSEC is built on the premise that good governance is not a compliance exercise — it is a strategic asset. We work with boards, management teams and shareholders to design, implement and continuously refine governance frameworks that promote integrity, accountability and long-term value creation. Our work goes beyond statutory filings and meeting minutes; we serve as trusted advisers on board effectiveness, regulatory compliance, ethics and risk management, and increasingly, on ESG integration.

As a dedicated corporate secretarial entity operating within CANDELP’s broader legal platform, CANSEC combines the discipline and regulatory depth of a specialist governance practice with seamless access to CANDELP’s transactional, disputes and regulatory capabilities. This integrated structure enables us to support clients holistically, across the full lifecycle of their corporate and governance needs.For Trusts, Wills and Administration of Estates, CANSEC is able to provide deliberate structuring, carefully drafted instruments, and advise with a depth of understanding that appreciates both the legal framework and the human complexities that surround it.
Our Vision
To be the foremost specialist corporate governance and company secretarial practice in Nigeria, recognized internationally for setting the standard in governance integrity, board effectiveness and compliance excellence. We aspire to build an institution whose involvement signals to investors, regulators and stakeholders that governance is not merely present — it is genuinely embedded, robust and fit for purpose.
Our Mission
To empower businesses to achieve sustainable growth and inter-generational continuity by entrenching strong governance, corporate compliance and accountability practices that are practically implemented, commercially grounded and aligned with global best standards.
/ Our Guiding Principles
Integrity
We believe that the right way is always the surest, safest and most sustainable path. Our advice is grounded in ethical rigour and professional independence. We do not take shortcuts on governance matters, because the consequences of poor governance are invariably more costly than the inconvenience of doing it properly.
Partnership
We are not merely a support function or an outsourced administrative service. We partner with our clients to understand their organisational dynamics, strategic objectives and regulatory environment, and we deliver governance solutions that are genuinely tailored to their circumstances. Our engagement is proactive, not reactive.
Value
Our value to clients is twofold: we protect the bottom line by ensuring regulatory compliance and minimizing governance risk, and we enhance it by improving the efficiency, credibility and effectiveness of corporate operations. Strong governance, properly implemented, is a competitive advantage.
/ Our Services
Each area is designed to address a distinct dimension of the governance, compliance and sustainability needs of our clients, while operating cohesively as part of a unified service offering.
Company Secretarial and Corporate Support
Corporate Governance, Compliance and ESG
Trusts, Wills and Administration of Estates
Company Secretarial and Corporate Support
Our Company Secretarial practice provides comprehensive statutory and administrative support to companies across their full corporate lifecycle. We act as outsourced or lead company secretaries to a wide range of organizations, providing end-to-end secretarial support that is precise, timely and professionally delivered.
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Incorporation & Entity Formation
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Ongoing Secretarial & Statutory Compliance
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Corporate Support
Corporate Governance, Compliance and ESG
Our Corporate Governance practice goes beyond ensuring statutory compliance. We advise boards and shareholders on the design, review and strengthening of governance frameworks that support effective oversight, sound decision-making and long-term institutional credibility. We are trusted advisers to boards on governance architecture, board effectiveness, and increasingly, on ESG integration.
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Governance Audit & Framework Design
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Board Effectiveness & Evaluation
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Ethics, Compliance & Risk Frameworks
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Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Advisory
Trusts, Wills and Administration of Estates
The orderly transfer of wealth and the continuity of family enterprises do not happen by default. They require deliberate structuring, carefully drafted instruments, and advisers who understand both the legal framework and the human complexities that surround it. CANSEC’s Trusts, Wills and Administration of Estates practice provides that counsel — with discretion, technical rigor, and a genuine understanding of what is at stake for our clients and their families.We advise high net worth individuals, business owners, and families on the full spectrum of private wealth and succession planning, from the preparation of wills and the establishment of trusts to the administration of estates and the resolution of succession-related disputes. Our work is grounded in Nigerian law but informed by the cross-border considerations that are increasingly relevant to our clients, many of whom hold assets, family members, or business interests across multiple jurisdictions.
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Wills and Testamentary Planning
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Trusts and Succession Structures
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Administration of Estates
/ Our Distinction
CANSEC is distinguished by the depth of its integration with CANDELP’s broader legal platform. Unlike standalone company secretarial firms or in-house administrative functions, CANSEC brings both specialist governance expertise and access to sophisticated transactional, regulatory and disputes counsel under one roof. This means that when a governance matter intersects with a legal, regulatory or commercial issue — as it frequently does — our clients are supported by a fully integrated team, not a referral chain.We do not merely advise on what governance should look like. We help clients design, implement, operate and continuously refine governance systems that support long-term value creation. Clients engage us where:
  • Governance credibility is critical to investor confidence or regulatory standing.
  • Regulatory compliance must be precise, timely and defensible.
  • Boards require independent, technically strong and commercially informed secretarial and governance advisers.
  • A company is scaling, restructuring or navigating a significant transaction and requires governance architecture to match its ambitions.

This positions CANSEC as the go-to firm for corporate governance, company secretarial and compliance advisory for companies that take governance seriously.What distinguishes our approach to the Wills and Administration of Estates practice is our ability to bring together private client advisory, corporate structuring expertise, and where necessary, dispute resolution capability (through CANDELP) — all within a single, integrated team. Many of our clients hold their wealth through corporate vehicles, family offices, or complex asset structures. We understand that succession planning for such clients cannot be addressed in isolation from their broader commercial and governance arrangements. We are therefore able to advise on the intersection of personal succession planning and business continuity in a way that promotes sustainability.

/ Our Profile
CANSEC is led and staffed by qualified legal professionals with deep expertise in corporate law, governance and compliance. The team operates under the supervision of CANDELP’s Managing Partner, Funmilayo Odude who acts as Lead Partner and Supervising Principal of CANSEC, and is supported by a dedicated group of associates with specialist knowledge and practical experience in company secretarial work, corporate governance and commercial law.
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