Abuja, Nigeria – The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced free business name registration for 3,500 small businesses across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The initiative is part of efforts to reduce start-up costs and encourage formalisation among micro and small enterprises.
Okay News reports that the announcement was made on Monday by CAC Registrar General Hussaini Magaji during the Commission’s 35th anniversary celebrations in Abuja. The programme aims to expand access to government services, financing opportunities, and broader economic participation for small enterprises.
Magaji said the initiative reflects the Commission’s ongoing commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, supporting inclusive economic growth, and ensuring that new businesses can formalise efficiently. “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,” he said.
On the technology front, the CAC plans to partner with Google to strengthen its digital infrastructure and service delivery. Magaji also announced a redesigned CAC website featuring new digital tools, including an AI Lawyer to provide instant guidance on CAC laws and procedures, and a business name generator to simplify name reservation for entrepreneurs.
The free registration initiative builds on a similar exercise launched in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), which targeted 250,000 youth-led businesses last year. While the results of that programme remain unclear, the CAC continues to encourage Nigerian youths and small business owners to take advantage of government-backed formalisation initiatives.
At the same time, the Commission has emphasised compliance, citing its recent deregistration of over 400,000 inactive companies in 2025. Magaji noted that the move was necessary to maintain transparency, credibility, and confidence in Nigeria’s corporate regulatory framework, removing non-compliant entities from the national register.
The initiative, combined with the CAC’s technology upgrades and compliance measures, reflects a broader effort to make Nigeria’s business environment more accessible, transparent, and secure for entrepreneurs.
