Guide to Registering a Business at the CAC in Nigeria (2021)
In this guide, we will go through the following:
CAC business name registration
Fell free to click on any of the topics above to jump to it
Introduction
Why register a business? To operate a business in Nigeria, it is required that you register the business to give it a legal backing and give confidence to the public that your business is legitimate. You can also go to jail for operating a business without registration. The Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) provides that you can register your business as a Non profit, Limited Liability, Partnership or Sole proprietorship business. You can downloada copy of CAMA here.
About the CAC
The Corporate Affairs commission (CAC) is the Nigerian government agency responsible for registering businesses. From the CAC website, it states that the CAC was established by the CAMA in 1990 to regulate the formation and management of companies in Nigeria
Main functions of the CAC
- They administer and regulate company formation and winding down.
- They maintain records of all registered companies
- They investigate companies in the interest of shareholders and many more things
In summary, you must talk to the CAC if you need to register a business, buy a company, add new shareholders and so on
Website: https://www.cac.gov.ng
CAC Abuja address (HQ): Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria
CAC office in Lagos: 18/20 Catholic Mission St, Lagos Island 102273, Lagos
Emails: cservice@cac.gov.ng and protocol@cac.gov.ng
Public search CAC
Public Search is when you search for a business on the CAC database through the website to confirm the existence of the business. The search can be done at any of their offices or through their website. To search through the website, follow these easy steps
1. Visit https://search.cac.gov.ng/home
2. In the search box, enter the name of the company and hit enter
3. My search for XYZ Nigeria limited just returned some results!
4. As you can see, the data gives us the registration code (RC) of the company, the official name of the company that most likely fits our search, the registered address, the date of registration and status.
This company is inactive. This is usually
because the company has not been filing annual returns to CAC. The annual
returns inform CAC that your company is active and still in good standing. See this guide on how to prepare and file the annual returns here
If you would like more information about this company, CAC requires you to apply and pay. See screenshot below that displays when you click on “view paid service”
CAC business name registration
To register a business name with CAC, you have to first search for a name you wish to register to confirm that it is not on the CAC database. You do this by conducting a public search or you go to their office for this search. Afterwards, you can then fill out the forms, attach your identity information (IDs, proof of address, age etc) and then submit after paying the required fees.
It is recommended to do this with the assistance of a competent Lawyer to avoid costly mistakes.
The process is now fully online on the CAC website and will require you to also pay online using Remita. To register your business online, start here:
2. From the home page click on “Online Registration”
3.
On the next page, you will see the 4 steps you
need to take to register your business.
a. Step One: Public Search – search to see if the name you want already exists. We have already covered in the public search above
b. Reserve a Name – As soon as you find a name that is not on the CAC database, you will submit this name to be reserved for you. It is advised to submit more than one name because a lot of companies are registered every day and someone might use your name even before you register it. To reserve a name, you must login into the portal. Registration on CAC is free.
c. Pre-Incorporation – This is where you complete all the forms and submit all the required documents to register your business. The forms will basically ask for your personal information (similar to what you fill in when you are trying to open a bank account), then you upload your IDs, Tax registration, address verification etc.
You also need to fill in the information about the business you are trying to register including the address, shareholders, paid-up capital etc. You must also login to CAC to see your dashboard. Please note that you must be the person that registered the business or an authorized representative of the business to access this portal
d. Post-Incorporation – this is where you file documents for annual returns, update shareholders, close your business etc. Just like the above, you must login to access your company information on the CAC portal
CAC portal login
The CAC portal is at https://pre.cac.gov.ng/dashboard. Make sure you are an authorized representative of a business before you access company information on CAC
CAC document upload portal
The cac portal is at https://pre.cac.gov.ng/dashboard. It is also at this portal that you upload any required document during your company registration filing
CAC registration fees
CAC registration fees are broken down into two categories,
A. Filing and form fees
These fees are used for form processing and
are usually paid online or offline through remita. The form fees are not so
expensive. There different fees for accessing sets of incorporation forms,
correction forms, name reservation forms etc. See details of form fees on CAC website
B. Service Registration fees
These are fees paid for the type of business you want to register. The fees and forms to access depend on how much share capital you want to register your business with. See details at https://www.cac.gov.ng/faq_category/list-of-fees/ then choose service for Companies, Incorporated trustees or business names
To summarize with an example, to register a limited liability company of N1,000,000 share capital, you will pay for name search, then reservation of name, then a set of incorporation documents/forms, pay registration fees. This may cost up to N50,000.00.
CAC document upload
You can log into the cac at the following url: https://pre.cac.gov.ng/dashboard and upload any documents and completed forms as required. Make sure you are the authorized representative of the company
CAC login from home
You can log into the cac from home at the following url: https://pre.cac.gov.ng/dashboard
CAC forms
During the course of any dealings at the CAC, you will be required to fill out forms whether online or offline at their office. The forms to be filled will depend on the type of business you are trying to register or the service you are trying to access at the CAC.
Click here to see all forms (and fees) for application.
Click here to see all forms (and fees) for Business names.
Click here to see all forms (and fees) for Companies.
Click here to see all forms (and fees) for Incorporated trustees
CAC - Remita
CAC and Remita entered into an agreement a few years ago to improve the online payment services at the CAC. Remita is a payment service company that enable online and offline payment at the CAC. Remita services have grown over the years from a payments collection company to offering a bouquet of retail services. Anyone can register at remita and begin accepting payments online within minutes for FREE. http://www.remita.net
CAC company search
cac company search can be done by a Public Search at the CACwebsite. This is when you search for a business on CAC database through the website to confirm the existence of the business. See detailed screenshotshere
CAC online registration
To access the CAC database and complete registration, you are required to have an account in the CAC website. Registration is free. Register with these steps
Step 1: visit https://pre.cac.gov.ng/register/new
Step 2: Complete the Information
Choose if you want to continue a previous application or a new one, then select if you are an accredited agent of CAC.
Fill in your details as the authorized representative and account details
Fill in address details and means of identification
Then you click on Register.
You will receive further information on how to login in your email inbox
FAQ about CAC and Company registration
How do I search a name in CAC?
You can search for a name on cac by doing a public search. This will check the CAC database for any name related to your search. Seemore details on how to do a CAC public search here
How do I check if a company is registered with CAC?
You can check if your company is registered with CAC by doing a public search. This will check the CAC database for any name related to your search. See more details on how to do a CAC public search here
How do I find a company name in Nigeria?
To find a company name, you might want to use a name that relates to the product or service you want to render. You might also want to use your name or an acronym of if the business you want to go into is not specific to one line of business. To make it easy you can try a business namegenerator for free here
How do I print my CAC certificate online?
The CAC now provides electronic certificate of registration(e-certificate)
which you can access from the CAC portal dashboard once your business has been
registered. The certificate, once downloaded to your computer can be printed with
your printer at home or in your office. Read more about the CAC e-certificate here
How long does it take to obtain my CAC certificate after completion of filing?
According to Lawpadi.com, the process takes up to two weeks to complete depending on the workload at the CAC however, we have seen processes taking up to 3 months.
Free Guide Reveals How a Business Structure can
Help you Save a lot of money and grow your Business
[See this before your register your business]
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