How to register a company with the CAC

In short: Registering a company with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is done online through the CAC portal. Most delays are not caused by the CAC. They are caused by name choices that get rejected, director details that do not match ID documents, and share capital chosen without thinking about what it triggers later.

Who this applies to

Anyone trading in Nigeria as more than a personal side activity. You have three common options:

• Business Name: the simplest registration. It is not a separate legal entity, so the owner carries the liability personally.
• Company Limited by Shares (Ltd): a separate legal person. This is what most businesses, and nearly every business that wants corporate customers, should register.
• Incorporated Trustees: for non-profits, associations and religious bodies.

If your customers are banks, government bodies or large corporates, register a limited company. Procurement and vendor onboarding almost always require one.

What you need before you start

Gather these first. Starting the portal process without them is the main cause of stalled applications.

1. Two proposed names, in order of preference. Expect the first to be rejected.
2. A registered office address in Nigeria. A physical address, not a P.O. box.
3. Director details: full name exactly as written on the ID, date of birth, nationality, occupation, residential address, phone, email.
4. A valid means of identification for each director and shareholder: National Identification Number (NIN), international passport, or driver's licence.
5. Shareholding split, expressed as a number of shares per shareholder.
6. The objects of the company: what the business actually does, written as clauses.

Every name on the application must match its ID document character for character. A middle name present on the ID but omitted on the form is enough to cause a query.

Choosing a name that will not be rejected

Names are refused when they are identical or confusingly similar to an existing registration, when they imply government backing, or when they contain restricted words. Words suggesting a bank, insurance, holding, federal or national character generally need consent or a licence.

Run a name availability check and reserve the approved name before preparing anything else. Reservation is time-limited, so do not reserve a name months before you are ready to file.

The registration steps

1. Create an account on the CAC portal in the name of the person who will manage filings.
2. Reserve the name and wait for approval.
3. Complete the incorporation application: company type, share capital, registered address, directors, shareholders, and the company secretary where one is required.
4. Upload the identification documents and the signed statutory forms.
5. Pay the filing fee and stamp duty through the portal.
6. Wait for review. Queries are raised on the portal, so check it rather than waiting for an email.
7. Download the certificate of incorporation and the certified documents: the status report, and the memorandum and articles of association.

Keep the certificate, the status report and the memorandum together. Banks, the tax authority and corporate customers will each ask for them.

Share capital: the decision people get wrong

Share capital is not a deposit, and the money does not have to sit in an account. But the figure you choose has consequences:

• Filing fees and stamp duty scale with it.
• Some regulated activities and some licences carry a minimum share capital.
• Companies with any foreign shareholding face a higher minimum, and separate registration obligations.
• Raising it later means filing an increase and paying again.

Pick a figure that matches the licences and contracts you realistically expect over the next few years, and confirm the current minimum for your specific activity before filing.

What to do immediately after incorporation

Incorporation is the start of your obligations, not the end.

• Register for tax and obtain your Tax ID.
• Open a corporate bank account using the certificate and status report.
• Register with the relevant sector regulator if your activity is licensed.
• Diarise your first annual return.
• If you will employ staff, deal with pension, employee compensation and industrial training registrations.

Each of these has its own guide in this series.

Common mistakes

• Using a residential address you are about to leave. Changing the registered office later is another filing.
• Naming a director who will not be involved. Removing a director is harder than adding one.
• Leaving the objects clauses too narrow. Write them to cover what you plan to do, not only what you do this month.
• Registering a Business Name because it is cheaper, then re-registering as a limited company a year later when a customer insists.
• Letting a third party register the company in their own portal account. You then depend on them for every future filing. Use your own account.

Verify before you rely on this

Filing fees, stamp duty, share capital minimums and the exact forms change. Confirm current figures and requirements on the CAC portal or with a registered agent before you file. This guide describes the process and the decisions; it is not legal advice.