How to Write Letter of Undertaking [See Samples]

On several occasions and at different points in life, people are required to write letter of undertaking. There are several reasons why people may need to write an undertaking letter. On today’s tutorial, I will be teaching you how to write a good letter of undertaking for student university admission, payment of debt, good conduct, misconduct, loan, employment and so on. I will also tell you what letter of undertaking is all about, why you may need to write it, how to write it and who can write it.

What is a Letter of Undertaking?

Generally speaking, a letter of undertaking (LOU) is a letter of assurance written by one party to another party to show an intention, a promise or a pledge to fulfill the obligation that had been previously agreed on.

So, letters of undertaking always have to do with prior or previous agreement and is normally employed in the day-to-day transactions between parties. Normally, one party does it to prevent incurring loss. A good example is a situation where some students destroy school properties in the course of a demonstration. The school management requires the students to write a letter of undertaking showing that they will not do such wrongful act again and also stating the alternative consequences in case of default.

Read Also: How to Write Letter of Attestation [See Samplés]

In Nigeria, students who are newly admitted into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and secondary schools are required to write a letter of undertaking and submit as part of the documents required for clearancé.

Purpose and Importance of Undertaking Letter

Purpose of Undertaking Letter

The following are the purposes for writing letter of undertaking:

1. Depending on the context in which the letter is written, the first purpose is to communicate the terms, conditions and responsibilities of the parties involved.
2. The second purpose is to document these agreed terms, conditions and responsibilities.
3. To provide legal evidence of the undertaking just in case there is need to reference and enforce it.

Importance of Undertaking Letter

A letter of undertaking is important because it

1. clearly states the obligations, expectations and responsibilities of all the parties involved.
2. helps to prevent misunderstanding and disputes in the future.
3. is a means of demonstrating seriousness and commitment by the party writing the undertaking.
4. can be used as a legal document to hold people accountable or to get them to fulfill their obligation.

Who can / should Write a Letter of Undertaking?

Letter of Undertaking for students admission can be written by:

• You.
• Your Parents.
• The Spiritual leader (Rev. Father or Pastor) of the one for whom the undertaking is written.
• Your Traditional ruler or leader.
• An Attorney.

Read Also: How to Write Application Letter for Teaching Job in Schoöl

Reasons for Writing Letter of Undertaking

There are many reasons why you may need to write a letter of undertaking for someone. In the same way, there are several reasons why you may be required to obtain a letter of undertaking. The reasons include:

• Admission
• Payment of debt
• Good conduct
• Misconduct
• Loan
• Employment
• School fees
• Building permit

There are more reasons. But, let’s just move to the next section.

So, let’s go…

Key Elements of a Letter of Undertaking

A standard and well-written letter of undertaking would have the following key elements:

1. Heading
   1. Formal salutation (for example: To whom it may concern)
   2. Title of the document (i.e. Letter of Undertaking)
2. Identification of the parties.
   1. Name and details of the party who is making the undertaking.
   2. Name and details of the party who is to receive the undertaking.
3. Statement of undertaking
   1. A concise description of the undertaking
   2. Specific action to be made or commitments being made
   3. deadline or timeline for the undertaking
4. Acknowledgement and acceptance
   1. Acknowledge the legal significance of the undertaking letter.
   2. Express willingness to fulfill the undertaking.
5. Signature and contact information
   1. Signature of the authorized representative.
   2. Name, title and contact details of the signatory.

How to Write a Letter of Undertaking

Here is a very important section of this tutorial as you are going to learn how to write a standard letter of undertaking. I will guide you, as well as provide you with the format of a typical undertaking letter.

1. Understand the nature of a letter of undertaking.
   1. By this I mean that you should appreciate the fact that letter of undertaking is a kind of formal letter. Therefore, it must have the features of a formal letter.
2. Gather necessary information.
   1. To do this, you must understand the context and purpose of the undertaking.
   2. Identify the important details that must be included in the letter.
3. Take some time to structure the letter.
   1. As a kind of formal letter, your letter of undertaking must contain date, your address and that of the institution (or organization), salutation and heading.
   2. The letter must also contain an introduction which should show clearly if the letter is written by a solicitor or by the person in need. State briefly the purpose of writing also. For example: I am Henry Divine, a newly or provisionally admitted student of Biochemistry, UNN. I write in respect of the above subject.
   3. You then proceed into the body of the letter. Here, you state your intentions (i.e. the purpose of the undertaking) in addition to any other necessary info.
   4. Add a complementary close; Yours faithfully and sign before you put your full names.
   5. Remember to organize the content of the letter so that it has both clarity and logical flow. Also ensure that there is coherence of thought between the sections.
4. Maintain a professional and formal tone throughout the letter. Always ensure that your language is clear, concise and unambiguous.
5. Lastly, as you would do to any official document, cross-check for grammar, spelling and formatting errors. Also review to ensure that your letter aligns with your intentions.
6. Before you submit, make photocopies and keep one or two for future use. Or convert your Letter of Undertaking to PDF format and save in your gmail (email) account.

Letter of Undertaking Sample

The following are samples of letter of undertaking:

1. Letter of Undertaking Sample Culled from MOUAU:

2. Letter of Undertaking Sample from SSNG:

Here’s another letter of undertaking sample. You can also look through it.

Once again, congratulation on your well-deserved admission.

Apart from students who got admitted into school, company employees, workers and staff members also have need to write letter of undertaking.

In many companies and business organizations, employees with salary and terms of job are required to write undertaking letter for record keeping and for reference purposes.

Read also: 36 Useful Advice to the Newly Admitted Students on Campüs

Below are Formats of Undertaking Letter for Job

Format 1

Subject: Undertaking

I hereby solemnly confirm that I have carefully studied the rules and regulations contained in my appointment letter. And I will abide by them throughout my service. I also hereby confirm that the information I have filled in this form is correct to the best of my knowledge.

In case you require any further information, I will be ready to furnish you with them as soon as possible.

Signature & Thumb impression of the Employee

Read Also: How to Write a Letter for Promotion Request {Samples}

Format 2

Undertaking Letter by Employee

Mrs Nkechi Presh,
Mea Mater Elizabeth High School,
Agbani.

Dear Sir,

LETTER OF UNDERTAKING

This is to notify you that I have taken the job of substitution teacher at Mea Mater Elizabeth High School for one year (i.e. from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025). I agree that I shall be paid the sum of one hundred thousand Naira per month.

Further more, I have completely read and understood all the terms and conditions of the job. I understand that my working hours will be from 8 am till 3 pm daily. I undertake that I can be terminated from job at any time without prior warning if I break the terms of the contract.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature] Best employee

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