How to Complete CAC Business Name Registration in Nigeria
Complete CAC business name registration on the ICRP company registration portal: account creation, name reservation, required documents, national identification number, filing fee, CAC certificate, status report, TIN registration, and corporate bank accounts under Nigerian law.
Business name registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission is the standard way for a sole proprietor or partnership to operate under a chosen name in Nigeria. The process now runs online on the company registration portal, also called the ICRP portal (icrp.cac.gov.ng). Individuals can file without a lawyer. A clean application depends on accurate name reservation, matching identity records, the right required documents, and payment of the filing fee shown on the portal.
Registration does not turn a business name into a limited liability company. The proprietor or partners remain personally responsible for the business. What registration does provide is a verifiable record, the right to trade under that name, and the documents banks and counterparties usually ask for before opening corporate bank accounts or signing official contracts.
Why Register a Business Name Under Nigerian Law
The Corporate Affairs Commission registers and keeps the public record of business names, companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and incorporated trustees. Carrying on business under an unregistered business name can breach the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020. Registration is therefore both a compliance step and a practical one.
Legal Recognition and Everyday Use
Registration gives the business name legal recognition under Nigerian law in the sense that the name is entered on the official register and can be checked by customers, suppliers, and regulators. It supports the use of that name on invoices, signage, and official contracts. It does not, by itself, create a separate company with limited liability or an RC number. Anyone who needs limited liability, shares, or a board structure should incorporate a company instead of stopping at a business name.
What You Receive After Approval
Once the application is approved, the dashboard allows download of the CAC certificate (Certificate of Registration) and the status report. Keep both, together with the payment receipt. Banks, procurement desks, and tax offices commonly ask for these documents before they treat the business as formally registered.
Account Creation on the Company Registration Portal
All new filings start with account creation on the ICRP portal. Use an email address and phone number you control, because status messages, verification codes, and document links are sent there.
How to Open and Secure the Account
- Go to the official company registration portal at icrp.cac.gov.ng.
- Create a public-user account with a working email and phone number.
- Complete email or two-factor verification before you try to file.
- If login fails because of a duplicate username or phone number, update the record as prompted, or contact the Commission helpdesk if you no longer control the linked email.
Do not share the only recovery email or password with an agent. You can file a business name yourself. An accredited agent is optional, not required.
Name Reservation Before You File
Name reservation is a separate step from the registration form. On the current ICRP portal it is automated: after a successful payment, an available ordinary name is approved and an Approval Validation (AV) code is issued.
Availability Search and the AV Code
From the dashboard, open Name Reservation and follow the on-screen flow:
- Select Business Name as the classification, then Sole Proprietorship or Partnership as the type.
- Enter the proposed name and the nature of business.
- Run Check Availability.
- If the name is free, continue to payment. If it is taken, change the name or use the portal’s name suggestions.
- After payment, collect the AV code. You will enter that code when you start the registration form.
Prepare two or three distinct options before you pay. Names that are identical or too close to an existing entity are refused. Very generic phrases are also a common reason for failure. A reserved name is generally held for a limited period, widely stated as 60 days, so complete the filing before the reservation lapses.
Restricted words and names that need consent follow a separate, manually reviewed path. Do not assume those applications are instant.
Required Documents and the Registration Form
The registration form for a business name is completed online after you enter the AV code. The Commission’s current business-name steps ask for the business email, business address, and date of commencement, then the proprietor’s details.
What to Upload for Each Proprietor
The ICRP portal requires these items in image format for each proprietor:
- A valid government-issued ID (means of identification), such as a National Identification Number slip or card, international passport, driver’s licence, or voter’s card.
- A recent passport photograph.
- A clear signature specimen.
The national identification number is now central to identity checks. The name, and where the portal asks for it, the date of birth, should match the government-issued ID and NIN record exactly. A mismatch is a frequent cause of a query. Use a readable scan, a plain background for the passport photograph, and a signature that is easy to see. Poor images are a common reason applications are returned.
You will also need a physical business address in Nigeria, a working phone number, and a short, accurate description of the business. Avoid vague labels if the activity is regulated. Partnerships must capture each partner’s details and documents, not only the lead proprietor’s.
Filing the Form
Official portal steps are:
- Open Registration, then Register New Business.
- Enter the AV code and continue.
- Save the business email, address, and commencement date.
- Complete proprietor details and upload the government-issued ID, passport photograph, and signature.
- Review the preview page carefully.
- Proceed to payment through Remita.
- Watch the dashboard status.
Editing after submission is harder than correcting the preview. Read every field against the identity document before you pay the filing fee.
Filing Fee and Other Charges
The amount due is generated on the company registration portal at payment. Budget for the statutory fee, any stated service charge, and the Remita or bank charge. Do not rely on an agent’s round figure as the government fee.
Charges Applicants Should Expect
Published CAC materials and the 2025 fee review point to these figures, which applicants should still confirm on the payment page:
| Item | Indicative amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business name registration, including certified copies of registration documents | ₦20,000 | Cited from the revised schedule in force from 1 October 2025 |
| Name reservation (ordinary) | About ₦1,000 | 2025 review; older portal text still mentions ₦500 in places |
| Name reservation for restricted words | Higher published rate, often ₦5,000 | Consent route is reviewed manually |
| AI service charge on name reservation | ₦200 | CAC public notice, from 1 April 2026 |
| AI service charge on business name registration | ₦500 | CAC public notice, from 1 April 2026; does not replace the statutory fee |
| Remita or gateway charge | Small amount per payment | Added at checkout |
The Commission’s 2 April 2026 notice states that, from 1 April 2026, name reservation attracts an artificial-intelligence service charge of ₦200 and business name registration attracts ₦500, and that these charges do not change the statutory fees in the Companies Regulations as amended. Because secondary summaries of the gazette do not always agree on every line, treat the figure on the ICRP portal as the amount to pay.
A separate federal initiative, run with SMEDAN, has offered fee-free business name registration to a capped number of micro and small enterprises. Eligibility and whether the window is still open should be checked on the SMEDAN portal, not assumed.
Approval, CAC Certificate, and Status Report
Business name applications on the current portal are largely AI-reviewed rather than queued for a long manual approval. After payment, check the dashboard:
- Pending means the review is still running. Refresh after a short wait.
- Queried means something must be fixed. Open the query history, correct the stated issue, and resubmit.
- Approved means you can download the CAC certificate and the status report from the action menu.
Save PDF copies of the certificate, status report, and receipt in more than one place. These are the documents most banks and contract counterparties will ask to see.
TIN Registration, Tax Identity, and Corporate Bank Accounts
Tax identification has been tightened under the Nigeria Tax Administration Act framework that took effect in 2026. The Federal Inland Revenue Service now operates as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS). For many registered entities, the CAC number is the starting point for tax identity rather than a wholly separate paper application.
How TIN Registration Works in Practice
- For an individual proprietor, the national identification number is the personal tax identifier.
- For a registered business, the CAC registration number is used to retrieve the Tax ID on the NRS Tax ID service. The official guidance is to select the corporate or non-individual option, enter the organisation name or registration number, and retrieve the Tax ID. Retrieval confirms an existing identity; it is not a fresh registration by itself.
- If retrieval fails, the usual causes are a name mismatch with NIN or a record that has not yet harmonised. In that case, use the NRS help channels or a tax office for data matching, and take the CAC certificate, status report, and proprietor NIN.
Older instructions that say “visit the FIRS portal and apply for a new TIN from scratch” are increasingly out of date. If a page still branded as an FIRS portal is what your bank or accountant links to, use it only to retrieve or confirm the Tax ID already tied to the CAC record, and cross-check the result on the current NRS service.
With the CAC certificate, status report, and tax identifier, you can approach a bank for corporate bank accounts in the registered name. Banks set their own extra checks, which may include address evidence and BVN, so ask the chosen bank for its current list before you visit.
Staying on the Register
Registration is not a one-time event. Business names are expected to file annual returns. The Commission’s form list includes CAC/BN/7 for business-name annual returns, and the revised schedule has been reported at ₦5,000 for that filing. Late filing attracts penalties. Updates to the business, such as a change of address or proprietor details, should also be filed on the portal rather than left informal. From December 2025, online business-name update requests have required extra contact and identity details, including date of birth, emails, phone numbers, and a valid means of identification.
Practical Checks Before You Submit
A short pre-flight review prevents most queries:
- The proposed name is specific, available, and covered by a live AV code.
- Every name on the registration form matches the government-issued ID and national identification number.
- The passport photograph and signature are clear image files, not oversized or blurred scans.
- The business address is a real Nigerian address you can evidence if a bank later asks.
- The nature of business is accurate.
- You have paid the filing fee shown on the ICRP portal, not a guessed total.
- You can log back into the same account to download the CAC certificate and status report.
If the activity needs an extra sector licence (for example, certain financial, health, education, or food operations), CAC registration alone does not replace that licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the filing fee for business name registration?
The statutory business name registration fee, including certified copies of the registration documents, has been published at ₦20,000 under the revised schedule in force from 1 October 2025. From 1 April 2026 the Commission also charges ₦500 as an AI service fee on each business name registration, and ₦200 on each name reservation, on top of the statutory reservation fee. Remita adds a small gateway charge. Always pay the total displayed on the company registration portal.
What required documents does the ICRP portal ask for?
For each proprietor, upload a government-issued ID, a passport photograph, and a signature, in image format. Have the national identification number ready, because identity fields must match NIN and ID records. You also need a business address, email, phone number, commencement date, and the AV code from name reservation.
Do I still need separate TIN registration on an FIRS portal?
In most cases, no new paper TIN registration is required after CAC approval. From 2026, personal tax identity follows the national identification number, and a registered business retrieves its Tax ID from the Nigeria Revenue Service using its CAC number. The FIRS has transitioned to the NRS. Use the NRS Tax ID service first. Contact the tax office only if retrieval fails or the bank insists on a printed confirmation.