In a landmark move to boost Nigeria’s ease of doing business, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has launched a new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered business registration portal, designed to cut company registration time to under 30 minutes.
The announcement was made by CAC Registrar-General and CEO, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, during the Commission’s 2025 Stakeholders Forum held in Port Harcourt.
The upgraded portal is part of CAC’s broader reform agenda to overhaul the existing Company Registration Portal (CRP), removing bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long discouraged small business owners and startups from formalizing their operations.
One of the platform’s standout features is its NIN-only registration option, allowing entrepreneurs to register a business using just the National Identification Number (NIN) of a director or proprietor. Once verified in real time, the system moves straight to certificate issuance, dramatically shortening a process that used to take weeks.
For added efficiency, the AI tool also offers instant name reservations, automatically approving available business names and suggesting alternatives if the chosen name is taken, similar to creating an email address.
Speaking at the forum, Magaji said the CAC aims to build a “seamless, secure, and user-friendly system” that matches global best practices. “This is about empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs to focus on growth, not paperwork,” he added.
In anticipation of delays from third-party verifications like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the CAC has also developed a contingency AI-based photo ID matching system to ensure continuity.
The Registrar-General revealed that the Commission is currently reviewing over 100 partnership proposals from domestic and international Super Agents, including the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). The goal is to extend CAC’s reach, especially to MSMEs operating in remote areas.
Other upgrades on the way include Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and OTP verification for all transactions to strengthen data security, alongside a new CAC Mobile App due for rollout in Q4 2025, giving business owners more flexibility to track and manage their registrations from anywhere.
To support ongoing system improvements, the CAC confirmed that a review of selected service fees will take effect from August 1, 2025.
Key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Bar Association (Port Harcourt Branch), the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSAN), the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), and representatives from the Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, applauded the reforms at the event.
The CAC technical team was also on-site to resolve customer complaints in real time — a gesture reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to transparent and responsive service delivery as Nigeria pushes to become a top destination for startups and investors.
