Registering a business name in Nigeria is done through the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and the process has four broad stages: reserve a name, prepare your details, submit and pay, then receive your certificate. This guide walks through each stage and — just as important — what to do after the certificate arrives.
One honest note before we start: approval is never automatic. Name availability, document checks and processing timelines all depend on the CAC’s official processes, so treat any promise of "guaranteed approval in X days" with suspicion.
Business name or limited company?
First, confirm you are registering the right thing. A business name suits individuals, freelancers, traders and small businesses that want to formalise under a trading name. A limited liability company is a separate legal entity with shareholders and stricter obligations, usually suited to startups seeking investment or businesses that need the liability protection.
This guide covers business names — the most common starting point. If you are unsure which fits your situation, that is worth a conversation before you pay any fees.
Step 1: Search and reserve your name
Every registration starts with a name availability search on the CAC portal. You propose a name (typically with an alternative), and the CAC checks it against existing registrations and restricted words.
Names are refused more often than people expect — because they are too similar to existing ones, or contain restricted terms that need special consent. Choosing two distinctive options upfront saves a rejection cycle. An approved name is reserved for a limited period, so plan to complete your registration within that window rather than letting the reservation lapse.
Step 2: Prepare your details
For a straightforward business name, you will typically need:
- The approved/reserved name
- The nature of the business — what you actually do
- The business address
- The proprietor’s personal details: full name, date of birth, contact phone and email
- A valid means of identification
- A passport photograph
- The proprietor’s signature
Step 3: Submit and pay
The application is completed and submitted through the CAC’s online portal, with official fees paid as part of the process. Current fees are published by the CAC and can change, so check the portal rather than relying on figures from old blog posts — including this one.
Accuracy matters more than speed here. Inconsistent details — a name spelt differently across documents, a wrong date of birth — are a common cause of queries that stall applications.
Step 4: Approval and your certificate
After submission, the application is processed by the CAC. If everything is in order, you receive your certificate of registration electronically. If something needs correction, the application is queried, and you respond with the fix.
Timelines vary with the CAC’s workload and the quality of the application. A clean, consistent application is the single biggest thing you control.
After registration: the steps people skip
The certificate is a beginning, not an ending. To get the value of being registered:
- Open a corporate bank account in the business name — this is where registration starts paying for itself
- Sort out your tax registration (TIN) so you can invoice properly
- Keep your registration documents safely stored, digitally and physically
- Note your annual returns obligation — registered business names file yearly with the CAC, and ignoring this quietly damages your status
Common mistakes that delay registrations
Most delays we see trace back to a handful of avoidable errors:
- Proposing names too close to existing registrations, or containing restricted words
- Details that do not match — a name spelt one way on the form and another way on the ID
- Letting a reserved name expire before completing the application
- Vague descriptions of the nature of business that invite queries
- Using unofficial "agents" with no traceable process, then having no way to follow up
Doing it yourself vs getting support
Plenty of people complete the process themselves, and the portal keeps improving. Support earns its place when you want the name search, details and filing handled correctly the first time, or when queries and corrections start eating weeks.
Either way, now you know what the process actually involves — which makes you harder to mislead, whichever route you take.