Frequently Asked Questions

Debt recovery costs in Nigeria depend on the engagement structure. Tenaza offers contingency-only arrangements (typically 10–25% of recovered amounts), retainer-plus-success-fee hybrid models, and fixed-fee engagements for asset tracing or intelligence work. Most pre-litigation recoveries operate on a no-recovery-no-fee contingency basis, while litigation requires court filing fees and partial retainers.

Pre-litigation recovery typically takes 30 to 90 days. If court action is needed, summary judgment proceedings average 6 to 12 months, while full trials may extend to 9 to 24 months. Enforcement post-judgment takes a further 3 to 9 months. Tenaza prioritises pre-litigation settlement to minimise both time and cost.

No. Section 4 of the Nigerian Police Act restricts police functions to crime prevention, investigation and prosecution. Using the police to recover civil debts is unlawful and exposes both the creditor and any cooperating police officer to liability. Any recovery firm that suggests police-led recovery should be avoided. Legitimate recovery operates through demand letters, negotiation, court action and lawful enforcement.

Nigerian law imposes a six-year statute of limitations on contract-based debt claims, calculated from the date of default. After six years, the debt becomes statute-barred and unenforceable through the courts. However, the clock can be reset by any written acknowledgment of the debt by the debtor or by part-payment within the six-year window.

Yes. Foreign creditors can recover debts from Nigerian debtors through Nigerian courts. Where the creditor already has a judgment from a reciprocating country, the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act allows registration of that judgment in Nigeria. Tenaza specialises in cross-border recovery and represents foreign creditors throughout the process, from initial demand to enforcement.

Asset tracing is the investigative process of identifying and locating assets owned or controlled by a debtor, including assets they have hidden, transferred or moved offshore. It is essential when the debtor claims inability to pay, has previously concealed assets, controls multiple corporate entities, or is the subject of enforcement proceedings where the location of attachable assets is unclear.

Yes. Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria and operates in full compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission guidelines, and all applicable laws governing debt recovery and corporate intelligence.

Tenaza has operational reach in 40+ countries through a network of verified partner firms and investigators. This enables cross-border debt recovery, international asset tracing, and global corporate intelligence assignments. Primary operations are headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, with active engagements across Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia.

Yes, in many cases. Written-off debts that fall within the six-year limitation period and have documentary support can often be recovered through targeted asset tracing followed by structured enforcement. Tenaza specialises in distressed and previously-abandoned portfolios, including AMCON-acquired non-performing loans.

TRAX is Tenaza's proprietary AI-powered asset tracing and case management platform. It integrates credit bureau data (including direct FirstCentral REST API access), corporate registry intelligence, land registry searches, and field investigation outputs into a unified recovery workflow, enabling faster and more accurate debtor profiling than traditional methods.

Tenaza Asset Recovery & Intelligence is headquartered at 10b Olufunmilola Okikiolu Street, off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Phone: +234 706 746 4592. Email: info@tenazarecovery.com. Operations extend across Nigeria and 40+ countries through our verified partner network.

Tenaza handles both. Corporate recoveries benefit from procedures including CAMA Statutory Letters of Demand and winding-up petitions. Individual debtor recoveries use personal demand procedures, bankruptcy applications where appropriate, and targeted asset tracing. The strategy adapts to the debtor type.