The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has approved free Business Name Registration for 3,500 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across all the states of the federation as part of activities marking its 35th anniversary.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, announced this on Monday at the opening ceremony of the Commission’s 35th Anniversary Celebration in Abuja.
Magaji explained that the free business name registrations would be distributed across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to support small businesses and promote formal registration across the country.
He also announced scholarships for six outstanding corporate law students from each of the six campuses of the Nigerian Law School for the 2026 academic year, saying the initiative would support corporate law education.
As part of the anniversary activities, Magaji disclosed that the Commission donated 120 mattresses to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and provided support to orphanages as part of its corporate social responsibility.
In recognition of staff contributions to reforms, he approved a commemorative staff bonus of 25 percent of one month’s gross salary for February, alongside special car and housing loan schemes.
Reflecting on the Commission’s journey, Magaji said the CAC had transformed from a manual, paper-based institution into a digital organisation delivering services beyond physical borders.
He said, “When the Corporate Affairs Commission was established in 1991, our story began humbly, but with a bold mandate. At the time, CAC operated from a single office in Area 11, Garki, Abuja, serving the entire nation.
“To register a business or an association in Nigeria, citizens had to travel from every part of the country to Abuja. Processes were manual, records were paper-based, and service delivery was limited by geography and time.
“Yet, that single office laid the foundation for what has become one of Africa’s most dynamic and reform-driven corporate registries.”
Magaji noted that access to CAC services has expanded.
“Fast-forward to 2026, and the CAC story has evolved dramatically. Today, our services are no longer confined to one location. They are accessible across Nigeria and around the world, anywhere, anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.
Describing the transformation, he stated, “This is our evolution. From Paper to Portal. From Queues to Clicks. From Stress to Seamless. From One Office to the World.”
Magaji revealed that the Commission has deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve turnaround time and service delivery in line with global best practices.
While acknowledging that the transition to an AI-driven portal caused temporary disruptions and productivity challenges in some areas in 2025, he appreciated stakeholders and customers for their patience.
According to him, “Let me state clearly: The deployment of AI at CAC is not optional; it is necessary.
“Business registration volumes have grown exponentially, driven by tax reforms, the monetisation of social media and digital businesses, and policies promoting the formalisation of informal enterprises.
“To put this into perspective, CAC now receives close to 10,000 business registration requests daily, compared to only hundreds in the past.
“In addition, our complaint management system, through emails and call centres, now handles an average of 5,000 inquiries every single day.
“Imagine the number of staff required to manage this volume manually. Only AI can effectively complement human capacity with the required speed, accuracy, and precision.”
He further disclosed the signing of a Letter of Collaboration between the Commission and Google to strengthen its technology framework and improve service delivery.
“Google brings global expertise and technological support that will further strengthen our systems, enhance portal performance, and deepen the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“As we celebrate the past, we are inspired by a future driven by technology, efficiency, transparency, and global standards,” Magaji said.
