The Corporate Affairs Commission has launched a new Artificial Intelligence-powered registration portal designed to simplify company registration and speed up approval processes, as part of efforts to enhance Nigeria’s business environment.
The Registrar-General/CEO, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, announced the initiative during the Commission’s 2025 Stakeholders Forum held in Port Harcourt, according to a statement by the CAC.
“The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced the take-off of a pilot new Artificial Intelligence (AI)- powered registration portal.
“A major game changer for doing business in Nigeria is part of CAC’s transformative initiatives signaling a complete overhaul of the Company Registration Portal (CRP),” the statement read.
According to the Registrar-General, the newly introduced AI-powered portal marks a comprehensive overhaul of the Commission’s existing Company Registration Portal.
The portal has been programmed to offer instant name approvals, with an intelligent system that suggests alternative names when a preferred choice is unavailable.
Magaji likened the new name reservation process to opening an email account, emphasizing that the use of AI enables real-time suggestions and swift approvals.
He added that business owners can now initiate registration using only the National Identification Number of a director or proprietor.
Once the NIN is verified, the system is designed to generate and deliver the certificate of registration to the applicant’s email within 30 minutes.
“CAC’s target time for business registration was now under 30 minutes to generate a certificate and deliver to the customer’s email, subject to real-time NIN verification,” he said.
The Commission acknowledged that occasional delays may still arise due to external validation processes, especially with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). However, Magaji revealed that a contingency solution—featuring AI-powered photo ID matching technology—has been developed to address such challenges.
He described the integration of AI into the registration process as a game-changer for business operations in Nigeria, enabling the CAC to deliver faster, smarter, and more reliable services.
The system is designed to ensure that no changes can be made to a company’s records without the full consent and awareness of its registered directors.
Magaji also revealed that the Commission plans to launch a CAC Mobile App in the last quarter of 2025. The app will enable users to conduct transactions, track application progress, and access company information directly from their mobile devices.
As part of its ongoing reforms and commitment to quality service delivery, the Commission announced a review of certain service fees.
Magaji stated that the revised fees will take effect from August 1, 2025, highlighting the need to sustain high service standards and support the Commission’s expanding investment in technology.
The forum also featured goodwill messages from prominent industry stakeholders, including Cordelia U. Eke, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (Port Harcourt branch); Sir Sebastian Essien, Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSAN); and Elder Dogala Sakpege, Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.
