How to Register a Business Name with CAC in Nigeria (2026…

You sell on WhatsApp, customers trust you, and sales are moving. Then a supplier asks for your company documents, a bank asks for your CAC certificate, or a big customer wants to pay "into a business account only". That is usually the day people decide to register a business name in Nigeria.

The good news: you can do it yourself, online, with your phone or a laptop, without paying an agent. This guide walks you through every step on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal, what it costs, how long it takes, why names get rejected, and the duties that start the day your certificate arrives.

In short:

A business name is the simplest way to register your business with the CAC. It suits one person or a few partners running a small business.

You register online on the CAC portal: search and reserve a name, fill in your details with your NIN, upload your ID, photo and signature, then pay.

Fees were revised from 1 October 2025. The portal shows the exact amount before you pay, so check it there and keep your receipt.

After registration, file your annual return every year, open a business bank account, and look up your business Tax ID with your BN number.

An accredited agent is optional. Use one if you are short on time or your case is unusual, but always ask for the official fee and their charge separately.

What a business name is (and what it is not)

The CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) is the federal agency that registers businesses and companies in Nigeria.

A business name is a registered trading name for a sole trader (one owner) or a partnership (two or more owners). You get a certificate and a BN number, your registration number, a bit like a matric number for your business.

The important part: a business name is not a separate legal person. The business and the owner are the same in the eyes of the law, so if the business cannot pay its debts, the owner can be asked to pay from personal savings or property. This is called unlimited liability. A limited company (the ones ending in "Ltd") is its own legal person, but costs more to run. For most small traders starting out, a business name is the simpler first step.

Why registering your business name is worth it

A business bank account. Most banks ask for a CAC certificate before they open an account in your trading name.
Trust from customers. A customer paying ₦150,000 for a bulk order feels safer paying "Tolu Fabrics" than a personal account.
Protection of your name. Nobody else can register the same or a very similar name with the CAC.
Access to contracts and support. Government programmes, grants and many corporate customers ask for CAC documents.
A tax ID. Under the 2025 tax reforms, your CAC number is linked to your business tax ID (more below).

If you are still planning, our practical starter guide to AI for Nigerian small businesses shows simple ways to get organised before and after you register.

What you need before you start

Item	Tip
NIN (National Identification Number from NIMC, the National Identity Management Commission)	Your name and date of birth must match your NIN record exactly.
Valid ID (national ID card, international passport, driver's licence or voter's card)	Scan it clearly. Blurry images cause queries.
Recent passport photograph	A phone photo against a white wall usually works.
Signature on white paper	Use a dark pen.
Two or three name options	Back-ups save you a second trip.
Business address and a short description of what you sell	For example "retail of provisions and household items".
Email, phone number and a payment card or bank app	Use an email you check often.

If you are registering a partnership, you need the same personal details for every partner.

How to register a business name in Nigeria: step by step

As of October 2026, business names are registered on the CAC's online registration portal. The CAC upgraded it in July 2025 to a new AI-powered system, as TechCabal reported. AI (artificial intelligence) here simply means software that checks names and details automatically, to speed up approvals. Start from the official CAC website and follow its link to the registration portal, so you know you are on the real site.

Step 1: Create your account

Click Sign up and register with your email, phone number and NIN, then verify the account (check your spam folder for the code). Use your own details, not an agent's or a friend's. This account is where your certificate and future filings live.

Step 2: Search for your name and reserve it

Name reservation means asking the CAC to hold a name for you while you complete registration. Nobody else can take it during that period.

Choose Business Name as the type of registration.
Enter your preferred name, plus one or two alternatives.
Pay the reservation fee and wait for the result, often within minutes on the new portal.

If approved, you get an availability code, a reference number that proves the name is held for you. A reservation only lasts a limited period, so continue soon or you may have to pay again.

Before paying, check existing names for free on the CAC public search page to avoid names that are clearly taken.

Step 3: Fill in the registration form

Use your availability code to open the form. You will enter your principal place of business (main business address), the nature of business in simple words, the commencement date (when you started or will start trading) and the owner's personal details.

Type your details exactly as they appear on your NIN record. If NIMC has "Oluwaseun" and you type "Seun", verification can fail and your application can be delayed.

Step 4: Upload your documents

Upload your ID, passport photograph and signature in the formats the portal asks for (usually JPG or PDF). Check that the photo is clear, the whole ID card is visible and the signature is dark and readable.

Step 5: Pay the registration fee

The portal shows the fee before you pay. Pay online and download or screenshot your receipt and payment reference. If money leaves your account but the portal does not confirm the payment, do not pay a second time. Contact CAC support with your reference first.

Step 6: Submit and track your application

Submit, then watch your account and email. The CAC may send a query, a message asking you to correct something such as an unclear ID. Fix it and resubmit quickly.

Step 7: Download your certificate

When approved, download your certificate of registration from your account. It shows your business name, BN number and registration date. Also download the registration details (often called the status report), which banks sometimes ask for. Save copies in your email, Google Drive and WhatsApp.

How much it costs to register a business name (as of October 2026)

Fees are where people get confused, and where some agents take advantage. There are two different kinds of money:

Official CAC fees: what the government charges. These are paid on the portal.
Agent or service charges: what a helper charges for doing the work for you. These are not set by the CAC.

The CAC revised its schedule of fees in 2025. The new fees were first announced to start on 1 August 2025, as Blueprint reported. The start date was later moved, and the CAC notice on the new implementation date gives 1 October 2025. Here is what we could confirm:

Fee	Amount (as of October 2026)	Notes
Name reservation (standard name)	₦1,000	Reported unchanged in the revised schedule.
Name reservation with restricted words	₦5,000	For names using sensitive words that need extra approval.
Business name registration (filing fee)	Check on the portal	The CAC revised its fees in 2025 and guides quote different amounts (from ₦10,000 upwards), so we do not state a figure. The portal shows the exact fee before you pay.
Portal or bank charges	Small extra amount	Added by the online payment service.
Agent's service charge	Varies widely	Optional. Not a CAC fee.

The reservation figures above come from Blueprint's report on the revised CAC fees. Fees can change, so the amount shown on the portal at the payment step is the one that counts. If an agent's quote is far above the official fee, ask them to break it down.

Watch out for free registration programmes

The CAC sometimes runs promotions. In February 2026, for example, it announced free business name registration for 3,500 small businesses across all 36 states and the FCT, as reported by Nairametrics. Slots like these are limited and time-bound.

Check the CAC website for any running promotion, and never pay anyone who claims to "sell" free CAC slots.

How long registration takes

The CAC's goal for the new portal is very fast approval, in some cases within minutes once your NIN is verified. In practice, timelines vary.

When the new portal launched in July 2025, the CAC said it processed a record number of registrations, but many users reported delays, according to the same TechCabal report. Delays can still happen, so plan for anything from the same day to about a week, longer if your application is queried.

Our advice: start at least two weeks before a bank appointment, contract deadline or grant application.

Common reasons business names get rejected

A rejected name costs you time and another reservation fee. Avoid these problems:

Too similar to an existing name. "Mama Put Kitchen" and "Mama Put Kitchens" are likely to clash. Add something unique, like your area or your own name: "Mama Ireti's Kitchen Surulere".
Restricted or sensitive words. Words that suggest government links or regulated work, such as "Federal", "National", "Nigeria", "Bank", "Insurance" or "Microfinance", may need consent from the right authority and attract the higher reservation fee. Avoid them unless you have the approval.
Using "Limited", "Ltd", "PLC" or "Incorporated". These are only for companies. A business name cannot pretend to be a company.
Offensive or misleading names. Names that are rude, misleading about what you do, or suggest a licence you do not have.
Famous brands or very general words. "MTN Provisions" invites trouble, and a plain word like "Fashion" on its own is hard to approve.

A good name is short, easy to spell, easy to say on the phone, and specific to you.

Worked example: Chika's provisions shop in Enugu

Let us take an illustrative example. Chika runs a small provisions shop on a busy street in Enugu. She sells rice, noodles, drinks and household items, and many customers now pay by transfer.

She picks three names and checks the public search. "Daily Provisions" is taken, but "Chika Daily Provisions" is distinct because it includes her name.
She reserves it for ₦1,000 and writes down her availability code.
She fills the form with her exact NIN details, her shop address and "retail of provisions and household items".
She uploads her ID, a phone photo against a white wall and her signature, then pays the fee shown on the portal and saves the receipt.
A few days later, she downloads her certificate and saves copies.

Next, she opens a business account, adds her BN number to her WhatsApp Business profile and sets a phone reminder for her annual return.

Doing it yourself vs using an accredited agent

The CAC certifies accredited agents to file registrations for other people. These are usually lawyers, chartered accountants or chartered secretaries who are registered with the CAC for this work.

	Do it yourself	Use an accredited agent
Cost	Official fees only	Official fees plus the agent's charge
Time	A few hours of your own time	Less of your time
Control	Your account, your details, your login	Make sure the account and documents are in your name
Best for	Simple sole trader registrations	Partnerships, busy owners, unusual names, corrections

If you use an agent, confirm their accreditation with the CAC, ask for a written breakdown of the official fee and their charge, and insist the registration uses your details and that you receive the certificate. Never hand over your bank PIN or internet banking password. Registration does not need them.

Registering through a bank or payment app

Some business banking apps now let you register a business name with CAC without opening the CAC portal yourself. Moniepoint, for example, offers CAC business name registration inside its business banking app, and its registration page listed a fee of ₦19,000 when we checked in October 2026. You fill in your details, upload your ID, pay in the app and download the certificate when it is approved. Techpoint notes that these app services are convenient but can cost more than registering directly on the CAC portal.

If you use an app, check the total price before you pay, make sure the business is registered in your name with your NIN, and look up your new business name on the CAC public search once it is approved.

For a simple shop or service business, doing it yourself is very manageable. Our ready-to-use AI prompts for business owners include ideas for brainstorming business names and writing a clear "nature of business" description before you start.

What to do after you register

Your certificate is the start, not the end. These duties begin straight away.

1. File your annual return every year

An annual return is a yearly update you send to the CAC to confirm your business is still running and your details are correct. The CAC uses the official business name annual return form (CAC/BN/6), which today is filed online.

Under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA 2020), the law that governs registration, a business name files its annual return every year, generally by 30 June, except in the year it was registered. You file it online from your CAC account and pay a small fee shown on the portal.

Late filing attracts penalties, and a business that keeps failing to file can be struck off, meaning removed from the register. Set a reminder for every May.

2. Open a business bank account

Requirements differ by bank, but expect to bring your CAC certificate and registration details, valid ID, BVN (Bank Verification Number, the 11-digit number that links your bank accounts to you), proof of address and passport photographs. Keeping business and personal money apart makes record-keeping and tax much easier.

3. Know your tax ID

Under the tax reforms that took effect on 1 January 2026, the old Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) became the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS). A new national Tax ID system replaced the old TINs (Tax Identification Numbers). For businesses and organisations, the CAC registration number is linked to the Tax ID, according to TheCable's report on the Joint Revenue Board's Tax ID portal.

You can look up your business's Tax ID on the Nigerian Tax ID portal using your BN number. As a business name owner, the business profit is treated as your personal income for tax, so speak to an accountant or your state tax office about what you need to file.

4. Use your exact name and keep details current

Use the exact registered name on your signboard, receipts and social media. If you move, add a partner or close the business, file the change with the CAC so you do not keep owing annual returns for a business you no longer run.

Mistakes to avoid

Registering through an "agent" on social media without checking them. Fake agents collect money and disappear, or register the name in their own details.
Typing a nickname instead of your NIN name. Mismatched details are a leading cause of delays.
Paying twice when the portal hangs. Check your account and contact CAC support with your payment reference first.
Picking a name you will outgrow. "Chika Rice Store" is awkward if you later sell drinks and toiletries.
Ignoring the annual return. Penalties pile up year after year, and your name can be struck off.
Assuming registration means you are now a company. A business name does not protect your personal property. If you plan to borrow big or take on large contracts, ask a professional whether a limited company suits you better.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register a business name in Nigeria on my phone?

Yes. The CAC portal works in a phone browser, though a laptop is easier for uploading documents. Make sure your photos of your ID, passport photo and signature are clear before you start.

Can I register a business name with CAC on Moniepoint or other apps?

Yes, some business banking apps, including Moniepoint, offer CAC business name registration inside the app. It is convenient, but the price can be higher than doing it yourself on the CAC portal, so compare the total cost first and confirm the certificate is in your own name.

How much does it cost to register a business name in Nigeria?

As of October 2026, name reservation is ₦1,000 for a standard name and ₦5,000 if it uses restricted words. The registration filing fee was revised from 1 October 2025, so check the exact amount on the CAC portal at the payment step. Agent charges are extra and optional.

Can I register a business name without an agent?

Yes. Anyone with a NIN, a valid ID, a photo, a signature and a payment method can register online. Agents are helpful but not required.

Do I need a separate TIN after registering?

As of October 2026, your CAC registration number is linked to your business's Tax ID under the new system, so you do not usually apply separately. You can confirm your Tax ID on the Nigerian Tax ID portal. Ask your state tax office or an accountant what returns you need to file.

Words to know

CAC: Corporate Affairs Commission, the government agency that registers businesses and companies.
Business name: a registered trading name for a sole trader or partnership. Not a separate legal person.
BN number: the registration number the CAC gives your business name.
NIN: National Identification Number, your personal identity number from NIMC.
Name reservation: asking the CAC to hold a name for you while you complete registration.
Availability code: the reference number that proves your name has been reserved.
Annual return: the yearly update you file with the CAC to show your business is still active.
Unlimited liability: the owner can be made to pay the business's debts from personal money.
Tax ID: the number the tax authorities use to identify you or your business for tax.

Next step

Today, write down three possible names and check them on the CAC public search page. Then gather your NIN, ID, photo and signature, and register in one sitting.

Once you are registered, start putting your new business identity to work. Our guide to the free AI tools every Nigerian small business should try shows how to make a logo, flyers and WhatsApp messages with your new business name, and our guide to replying customers faster with WhatsApp Business and AI helps you set up a professional profile. For more guides on registration, tax and the rules that affect your shop, visit our government and compliance section.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For partnerships, unusual names or big decisions, speak to a lawyer, accountant or the CAC directly.

How to Register a Business Name with CAC in Nigeria (2026)