The Federal Government has opened a new opportunity for small business owners. Eligible entrepreneurs can now register their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, at no cost under a nationwide programme.
ABUJA, FCT — The Federal Government has launched a free Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, business registration programme for 250,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, across Nigeria. The initiative, introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is being implemented through a partnership between the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). According to the two agencies, eligible businesses will receive free business name registration as part of efforts to formalise more small enterprises and improve access to government support programmes.
Why This Happened
According to the CAC, the programme is designed to encourage informal businesses to become legally registered without paying statutory registration fees. The agency said the initiative will help more entrepreneurs access financial services, government interventions and business opportunities available to registered enterprises.
Interested applicants are required to first register on the SMEDAN portal, where eligible businesses will receive a SMEDAN Unique Identification Number, SUIN. Qualified applicants will then be enrolled for the free CAC business name registration process. The programme is targeted mainly at nano, micro and small businesses that have not previously been registered with the CAC.
What They Said
The Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, said the commission will waive all statutory fees for beneficiaries and ensure a seamless registration process. He added that SMEDAN will profile eligible businesses and provide unique identification numbers before the CAC completes the registration.
The Director-General of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, described the initiative as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen small businesses, noting that MSMEs remain a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy.
Background to the Story
The free registration programme forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to support entrepreneurship, improve business formalisation and expand access to financing. Business owners with CAC registration often find it easier to open corporate bank accounts, apply for grants and loans, and participate in government procurement opportunities.
What This Means for Nigeria
The development means thousands of entrepreneurs can formalise their businesses without paying CAC registration fees. It is also expected to improve financial inclusion, increase the number of registered MSMEs and strengthen Nigeria’s small business ecosystem. Eligible applicants are advised to apply only through the official SMEDAN registration process and avoid paying third parties for a service that the government says is free.
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