How to check if an electrician is NEMSA-certified

General guidance, grounded in NEMSA's published mandate — not legal advice. For anything binding, confirm with NEMSA directly.

Anyone can say they're “NEMSA certified.” Verifying it takes a few minutes and can save you from an unsafe installation, a voided insurance claim, or work that can't be legally energised. Here's how to do it properly.

Step 1 — Ask for the certificate

Ask the electrician or contractor for their NEMSA competency certificate. It may be an individual certificate or a corporate (company) one. Note the name on it, the certificate number or ID, the category of work it covers, and any validity or expiry date. A genuine professional will have this ready and won't be offended that you asked.

Step 2 — Check it against NEMSA's records

NEMSA keeps records of certified contractors. Check the name and certificate ID against NEMSA's official directory of certified electrical contractors and its verification section on the NEMSA website (nemsa.gov.ng). If the details match, you have real confirmation — not just a document that could have been edited.

Step 3 — If they're not listed, contact NEMSA directly

If the contractor's name or company doesn't appear in the directory, treat the certificate with caution. Confirm directly with the nearest NEMSA Inspectorate Field Office before proceeding. A missing entry isn't always fraud — records can lag — but it's a reason to pause and check, not to wave it through.

Step 4 — Don't stop at the person — certify the installation

Even a fully certified contractor produces an installation that must itself be inspected. For any significant electrical work, make sure the completed installation is inspected and tested by NEMSA and issued a Certificate of Inspection before it is energised and put into use. That certificate is your proof the work itself — not just the worker — meets standard.

Red flags

• Reluctance to share a certificate, or an “I'll send it later” that never comes.
• A certificate with no verifiable number, or details that don't match the directory.
• Pressure to skip inspection to “save time” or “save cost.”
• A quote far below everyone else's — corners are being cut somewhere, and compliance is the easiest corner to cut.

The shortcut: let verification be done for you

Chasing certificates is exactly the friction InfraForce Africa is built to remove. Technicians on our platform submit their ID and certifications up front, and we organise and check those documents so you don't start from zero. We're not a substitute for NEMSA's own verification — but we do the legwork of collecting and screening credentials before you ever get on a call.