Who Owns Your Website and Software? A Handover Checklist for Nigerian Businesses
A proper software handover covers domains, hosting, files, accounts, data, documentation, and access—not just a final login and a thank-you email.
By FASS Admin
Website ownership and software handover should be discussed before a project starts, not after the final invoice. A business is taking on an operating asset, and it should know which accounts, data, files, and decisions belong to it.
Start with the domain. It should be registered in the business's name and attached to an account the business can access. Then document hosting, DNS, email, analytics, payment gateways, source files, repositories, storage, and third-party subscriptions. If a vendor holds the only password or recovery method, the business does not have practical control even if the contract says it owns the website.
For software, add the data and workflow layer. Who can administer users? Where are documents stored? How are backups verified? What happens if a staff member leaves? Which integrations have live and test credentials? What does a new person need to know to operate the system without calling the original developer for every routine action?
A good handover also records the scope boundary. Standard content pages are different from dashboards, customer logins, payment pages, and data-storing modules. Clear scope protects the client and the delivery team because new work can be quoted before it becomes a surprise.
FASS's delivery approach keeps the domain in your name and includes handover of files and accounts at launch. Ongoing maintenance is available, but it should not be a condition of ownership. Read the service approach at /services and request a written scope through /contact.