Resigning as a director of a Nigerian company is simpler than most people expect. The part that catches people out is what happens after you have resigned, not the resignation itself.
Resignation takes effect at the company, not at CAC
You do not resign to CAC. You resign to the company, by telling the board or your co-directors.
CAC only gets involved once the company files the change. That filing is the company's duty, not yours as the departing director.
Putting it in writing
A short, dated letter to the board is the safest way to resign. State the date you intend to leave, and keep a copy for yourself.
Hand it to the company secretary if one exists, or to a fellow director if not. Get an acknowledgement of receipt where you can, even if it is just a reply confirming the date.
Do not rely on a verbal resignation at a meeting alone. Memories of exact dates fade, and a filing later needs a specific one.
Some founders resign informally, by simply stepping back from the business, and assume the paperwork can wait. CAC's register does not update itself. Until the company files the change, you can still show as a director on the public record, whatever your actual involvement looks like day to day.
The company's deadline to notify CAC
Once your resignation takes effect, the company must notify CAC within 14 days of the change. This is the same deadline that applies to appointing a new director.
CAC change of directors: the deadline covers this filing in full, including what can hold it up. Up-to-date annual returns and PSC information before CAC will process it, a rule that applies to your exit just as it does to any new appointment.
What a departing director should keep
Keep your resignation letter, the date you sent it, and any acknowledgement from the company. This matters if a dispute ever arises about when your responsibilities as a director actually ended.
If you held shares as well as a directorship, that is a separate matter entirely. Your resignation as a director does not transfer or affect anything you hold as a shareholder.
When to involve a lawyer
Most resignations are routine and need nothing more than a clear letter and a filed notice. Get advice if the company disputes the resignation, delays filing it, or if money or a pending claim is tied to your position.
A company secretary or corporate lawyer can also confirm whether your specific company's articles add any extra step beyond CAMA's general rule.
Once your resignation is filed, ask the company to show you the updated record, or check it yourself on CAC's public search once you have the company's registration number to hand. Keep your own letter safely even after that, since it remains your proof of the date you actually stepped down.
You can read more on documents to change a company director for what the company gathers on its side. The CAC registration hub links the rest of this series on post-incorporation changes.