Agreements
What a credit sale agreement should contain
An agreement should answer the questions you would otherwise argue about later. A total and a signature are a start, but they do not describe the full order.
Identify the people and the goods
Record the seller, the buying business and the person accepting for it. Use the names both sides recognise, together with the identifiers your process requires. A trading name alone may not explain who is responsible for the order.
Describe the goods in enough detail to check delivery: product, model or grade, quantity, unit, unit price and total. “Ten bags” is incomplete if the supplier sells more than one bag size.
Make the money and dates explicit
Show the agreed sale price, deposit if any, outstanding amount and each instalment date. Explain charges separately rather than hiding them in an unexplained balance. Include any agreed grace period without obscuring the original due date.
For example, “₦240,000, with ₦80,000 due on each of 10, 17 and 24 September” is clearer than “₦240,000, payable weekly”. Check that the instalments add up to the amount due.
Explain delivery and problems
State where the goods will go, who can receive them and how a delivery issue should be reported. A customer who finds damaged goods needs a contact and a process, not an instruction to sign first and argue later.
Also explain how the parties can request a change. An accepted agreement should not be silently overwritten because a date or amount became inconvenient. Keep the original and the accepted amendment together.
Check the completed version
Read the actual filled-in agreement, not just the blank template. Look for copied customer names, contradictory dates and fees that do not match the order. Give the buyer time to correct mistakes and retain a copy of the accepted version.
This is an operational checklist, not a contract drafted for your business. Have a qualified Nigerian lawyer review terms where you need advice on their legal effect. An acceptance timestamp is evidence of an action; it is not a guarantee that every clause is enforceable.
Questions people ask
Frequently asked questions
Can an invoice replace the agreement?
An invoice states what is being billed. It may not contain the payment, delivery and change terms needed for this sale. Check the actual documents rather than relying on the label.
Can I use the same agreement for every customer?
A common template can help, but the customer, goods, fees and dates must match each transaction. Remove irrelevant clauses rather than leaving contradictory wording.