Docufy

How do you get the ITF compliance certificate?

How to get an ITF compliance certificate: pay your contribution, then the ITF Area Office where the employer is registered checks it before issuing the actual document.

2 min readBy the Docufy editorial team

Quick answer

The certificate comes from the ITF Area Office where the employer is registered, once your contribution and payment evidence have been checked. You do not need to make that visit yourself: a vetted partner firm can prepare the paperwork and handle the Area Office step for you.

Issued by
the ITF Area Office where the employer is registered
Contribution rate first
1% of total annual payroll
Reported due date
1 April of the following year
Office visit needed from you
no, a partner firm handles the Area Office step
On this page

Getting the ITF compliance certificate is less about paperwork you fill in yourself and more about paying correctly and letting the right office check it.

Who issues it, and on what basis

The ITF Area Office where the employer is registered issues the certificate. It does this once your contribution for the year has been paid and the evidence of that payment has reached the office.

There is no separate application form that skips this step. Payment first, evidence next, certificate after.

What you need before you start

  1. Your total payroll figure for the year, calculated the way ITF defines payroll, not just basic salaries.
  2. Your contribution worked out at 1% of total annual payroll on that figure.
  3. A payment reference and proof that the amount has actually cleared.
  4. Your existing ITF registration details, including your employer number if you have filed before.

If any of these is missing, sort it before approaching the Area Office, since an incomplete submission is the most common reason a certificate stalls.

What it costs

The cost here is your contribution itself, at 1% of total annual payroll, not a separate certificate fee stated by ITF. Budget for the contribution as a yearly cost of doing business, not a one-off charge tied only to tender season.

The Area Office step, and why you do not need to visit

Because the certificate is issued at the Area Office where you are registered, someone has to take the payment evidence there and follow up until it is checked. That someone does not have to be you.

A vetted partner firm can prepare your figures, submit the paperwork, and manage that Area Office step on your behalf, so the certificate reaches you without you making the visit. That is the practical difference between doing this alone and having someone track the request through to the end.

What slows it down

  • Payroll figures that do not match what was declared in earlier years, prompting a query.
  • Payment evidence that does not clearly match the amount assessed.
  • A business that has changed address or details without updating its ITF registration.
  • Leaving the request until close to a tender deadline, when offices are busier.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the certificate has a long shelf life once issued, rather than renewing it yearly in line with other tender certificates.
  • Submitting payment evidence without the matching payroll workings behind it.
  • Not checking who must pay the ITF levy first, and paying a contribution that was never actually due.
  • Leaving Form 7A registration undone before trying to get a certificate at all.

Once you know your figures are right, a vetted partner firm can take on your ITF compliance certificate filing from start to finish. The ITF compliance certificate guide has the wider picture, including what tender boards expect alongside it.

Questions people ask

Do I have to visit the ITF Area Office myself?

No. The certificate is issued at the Area Office where your business is registered, but a vetted partner firm can submit the paperwork and collect it on your behalf.

What has to happen before ITF will issue the certificate?

Your contribution for the year, worked out at 1% of total annual payroll, needs to be paid and the payment evidence submitted for the Area Office to check.

Does the certificate have a stated validity period?

ITF's own pages do not state one. Tender notices commonly ask for it alongside other certificates valid until 31 December of the bidding year, so renew it on that rhythm to be safe.

What if my business has never registered with ITF before?

You will need to register first. See ITF Form 7A for new employers for that separate step.

Sources

Last checked 27 Sep 2026. Fees and rules change; the agency that issues the document has the final word. See our editorial policy.

Keep reading

ITF compliance certificate guide (2026)

Does every bidder need an ITF compliance certificate?

Does a bidder need an ITF compliance certificate? The Act covers any supplier, contractor or consultant bidding for work from a Federal Government ministry, department or agency, a separate rule from the staff and turnover test.

2 min read

What are the ITF fines for a non-compliant company?

ITF fines for a company are reported as ₦500,000 for a first breach and ₦1,000,000 for each later breach on conviction, per PwC's summary of the 2011 amendment. Here is the full picture.

3 min read

Is the ITF annual return Form 5 or Form 5A?

The ITF annual return goes by two names. ITF's page calls it Form 5A; the downloadable PDF is titled ITF Form 5. Here is which one you actually need.

3 min read

The ITF contribution rate and what payroll includes

The ITF contribution rate is 1% of total annual payroll, but employers often under-count payroll. Here is what ITF's own definition includes.

2 min read

All articles on tenders and compliance