Registering a company with CAC happens online, from name reservation to the certificate you download at the end. Here is the order the portal expects, and what to have ready before you start.
Reserve your company name first
Before you register, you reserve the name you want. This costs ₦1,000 and, once approved, the name is yours for up to 60 days.
Pick two or three options before you start. If your first choice is refused, a backup saves you a second wait. Why CAC rejects a proposed name covers the common reasons.
Filling in the registration on the new portal
Company registration now runs through CAC's new Company Registration Portal (CRP). CAC moved away from the older system in 2025, and some search results and bookmarks still point to addresses that no longer resolve. Search for the current entry page rather than trust an old link.
Once you are in, the form works through your company's details: the registered address, the objects of the business, share capital, and each director and shareholder.
Save your progress as you go. A long form left idle can time out and drop a section you have not saved.
What you need before you start
Gather these first, so you are not hunting for them mid-session:
- The company name or names you plan to reserve.
- Your proposed registered address in Nigeria.
- Full particulars for every director and shareholder. See director and shareholder details CAC needs.
- The share capital figure and how it is split among the shareholders.
- A means of identification and a signature for each director.
Having this ready turns a form that can otherwise take several sittings into one.
What it costs
Two separate charges apply before you reach approval. Name reservation is ₦1,000. Registration itself is ₦10,000 for every ₦1 million of share capital or part of it for a private company, so the total rises with the share capital you choose. A public company pays a higher rate.
Stamp duty on the share capital sits on top of both, and is not a CAC charge. A professional adviser can quote the rate that applies to your share capital.
These figures took their current shape from 1 Oct 2025, after CAC delayed the new schedule twice while it stabilised the portal.
What slows a registration down
A few habits cause most of the delay:
- Starting the form before every director's details are confirmed, then leaving it half-done.
- Choosing a name close to one already on the register, which invites a rejection.
- Letting the name reservation lapse before the registration itself is filed.
None of these are complicated to avoid. They just need the paperwork gathered first, not mid-session.
Once your certificate comes through, keep it and the rest of your incorporation pack somewhere safe, since banks and tenders will ask for them. You can start a CAC company registration on your phone once your details are ready.