How To Check If Company / Business Name Is Registered in Nigeria With CAC

To conduct business activities in Nigeria, a company must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which was created under the Companies and Allied Matters Act of Nigeria. Upon registration by the commission, a Certificate of Incorporation, which contains the business registration details is issued. The Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has introduced an online portal that enables members of the public to search and check for existing company / business names from the comfort of their homes using a computer or mobile phone free of charge. The portal also enables individuals desirous of submitting applications for Name Search and Reservation to check and know whether the proposed name has already been registered by someone else. This saves them the stress of having to go to the CAC office to do the same. The website portal provides information about the Company name, business name, Registration Number, registered business address and date of Incorporation. For job seekers who wish to verify the authenticity of a company, this portal will be helpful too. Though some genuine companies sometimes could project a brand name different from the registered business name. However, this tool will go a long way in guiding you.

Check Business Name / Company Registration in Nigeria Online via CAC Website

1. To search for a company or business name, visit the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website
2. You will be presented with a form to type the name of the company / business you want to search for (as illustrated below).
3. Enter all or part of the company name.
4. Check the "I am not a robot" CAPTCHA and click the "Search" button.

If it's a business / company name that has already been registered, the following information about the company will be displayed: RC Number or BN Number, Company name, company registered address and date of registration. If the company is undergoing registration, the result will also detail the name and status of the company registration at that time. If the company / business has not been registered, a blank table will be displayed. Please note that all legally registered companies in Nigeria have an RC Number, while Business Names have BN Numbers.