The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced the commencement of a pilot programme for a new, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven registration portal.
The Commission said the development marked a significant step in overhauling its Company Registration Portal (CRP) and streamlining business operations in Nigeria.
Registrar-General/CEO of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, revealed this at the 2025 Stakeholders Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Magaji stated that the new system is designed to make name reservation as straightforward as opening an email account, offering instant approvals for available names.
He added that the intelligent system will also suggest alternative names for selection and immediate approval if a preferred name is unavailable.
A notable feature introduced is the ability to register a business using only the National Identification Number (NIN) of a director or proprietor.
The CAC’s ambitious target is to achieve business registration and certificate delivery to customers’ emails within 30 minutes, contingent on real-time NIN verification.
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While acknowledging potential occasional delays due to external validation from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the CAC has developed a contingency solution utilising AI-powered photo ID matching to mitigate such challenges.
Magaji also discussed partnerships with ‘super agents’ like the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), revealing that the CAC is currently reviewing over 100 requests from potential super agents, both domestic and international.
Looking ahead, the Registrar-General announced plans to introduce Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and One-Time Password (OTP) verification for all transactions, ensuring that no modifications are made to company records without the explicit knowledge and consent of registered directors.
Additionally, a CAC Mobile App is slated for release by the last quarter of this year to facilitate seamless transactions and tracking on the go.
To maintain service quality and implement vital reforms, Magaji stated that the Commission has found it necessary to implement an upward review of certain service fees, which will become effective on August 1, 2025.
The Stakeholders Forum also featured goodwill messages from prominent figures, including Cordelia Eke, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch; Sebastian Essien, Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSAN); and Dogala Sakpege, Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME).
During the interactive session, a technical team from the CAC was available to address customer complaints and challenges.
