The Corporate Affairs Commission has announced free business name registration for 3,500 small businesses across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to a statement from the Commission, the Registrar General of the Commission, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during events marking the CAC’s 35th anniversary.
Magaji said the move is aimed at easing the cost of formalisation for micro and small enterprises.
What the CAC bossis saying
Magaji said the initiative reflects the Commission’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, reducing business start up costs and supporting inclusive economic growth.
- “In the spirit of the celebration, the CAC Boss announced Free Business Name Registration for 3,500 small businesses, to be distributed across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory,” the statement read in part.
According to Magaji, the programme is designed to encourage more small enterprises to formalise their operations, thereby expanding access to government services, financing opportunities and wider economic participation.
Reflecting on the Commission’s journey, the registrar general described the CAC at 35 as a story of vision, innovation and sustained commitment to national development.
He noted that the agency has evolved into a technology-driven institution with a strong focus on efficiency, transparency and adherence to global best practices.
Google partnership and new digital tools
On the technology front, the registrar general revealed that the CAC would sign a collaboration letter with Google to strengthen its digital infrastructure and service delivery.
- He said the partnership is expected to improve portal performance and further enhance the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
- Magaji also announced the launch of a redesigned CAC website featuring new digital tools, including an AI Lawyer and a business name generator.
According to him, the AI Lawyer will provide instant guidance on CAC laws and procedures, while the business name generator will simplify the reservation of scalable business names.
Flashback
The free registration initiative just announced by the CAC builds on a similar exercise unveiled in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
While the initiative was targeted at registering 250,000 youth-led businesses for free, it is still unclear how many businesses have been registered under the initiative since October last year when it was announced.
Magaji, at the time, advised Nigerian youths to leverage the government’s initiative to formalise their businesses.
What you should know
While the Commission is encouraging new businesses to register, it has also demonstrated that it would not tolerate businesses failing to fulfil their obligations after being registered.
- Over the weekend, the CAC disclosed that it deregistered over 400,000 companies in 2025, citing prolonged inactivity and failure to meet statutory compliance requirements.
- The move forms part of efforts to clean up the national companies register and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s corporate regulatory framework.
According to Magaji, the mass deregistration was necessary to remove inactive and non-compliant entities from the commission’s database and protect the integrity of the register.
He added that the action was aimed at ensuring transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s business environment.
Another window of opportunity to register cronies to launder money
While appreciating the gesture from DG, I also like to advise him or the Corporate to please before deregistration of non or less performance companies, there should be pre notice of not less than 12 months, as preference for the owners. Their predicaments may be based on economy downturn and hardship couple with some other unaffordable circumstances. Thanks
What is the criteria for choosing the free registration?
It’s a good idea which will help small business owners like me to register our businesses.
This is very interesting and very thoughtful of the CAC.
Deeply appreciate the CAC DG’s kind gesture as a source of encouragement in leveraging the small business to become legal entities!
Last year we attempted registration under the free scheme through SMEDAN but couldn’t succeed. Pls could the CAC give us a guide or a link to access this service before it’s closure? Thanks once again!
We are happy to hear that, a very massive support for all the nano entrepreneurs thank you,
I love and appreciate this, at least people can begin to benefit some certain things from the government as a citizen just like other foreign countries will do for their own citizens.
God bless Nigeria!
A very good one
This is not true paying N3,509 for CAC business name registration. Currently am trying to register my business name yesterday after paid for business name reservation on checking out on the CAC portal I am to pay N20,190.
Who say it N3,500. It is a lair. Can someone help because am yet to pay the N20,190
Am waiting for response from CAC
Regards
.idris Rilwan
This wonderful initiative of CAC will further strengthen our youths to have a solid plan for their small business in collaboration with SMEDAN to further support their dreams .
KINDLY PROVIDE THE GUIDELINES AND LINKS TO GET A BUSINESS REGISTER FOR FREE WITHOUT CONSULTING ANYONE OR ACCREDITED AGENT FOR A CERTAIN FEES.
Thanks for supporting me
Nice initiative.
Please how do I go about the free registration.?