CAC records 10,000 daily business registrations following AI rollout

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has revealed that it now processes nearly 10,000 business registration applications daily, a significant increase from the few hundred handled in its early years, following the full deployment of artificial intelligence across its service platforms.

The commission, however, acknowledged that the transition to an AI-powered system came with challenges, including temporary disruptions to productivity and service delivery during 2025.

The Registrar-General of the commission, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of CAC’s 35th anniversary celebration, describing the milestone as a defining moment in Nigeria’s drive toward economic formalisation.

The event, themed “Upholding Public Trust through Excellent Service Delivery,” highlighted the commission’s growth, resilience, teamwork, and institutional transformation since its establishment in 1991. CAC was created under the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 to replace the former Company Registry and was further modernised by the enactment of CAMA 2020.

As an autonomous agency, the commission is responsible for the incorporation and regulation of companies, business names, and incorporated trustees nationwide.

In his address, Magaji explained that CAC has evolved into a fully digital, end-to-end registry that operates круглo around the clock and is accessible both within Nigeria and globally. He recalled that when the commission began operations in 1991, it functioned from a single office in Area 11, Garki, Abuja, serving the entire country through manual, paper-based processes.

He noted that business owners were then required to travel long distances to Abuja to register entities, with service delivery constrained by geography and time. According to him, that modest beginning laid the foundation for what has become one of Africa’s most reform-driven corporate registries.

“Today, our services are no longer limited to one physical location,” Magaji said. “This evolution from paper to portal, from queues to clicks, and from stress to seamless service defines our journey.”

He attributed the sharp rise in registration volumes to tax reforms, government policies aimed at formalising informal businesses, and the rapid growth of digital and social media-driven enterprises.

“To put this in context, CAC now receives close to 10,000 business registration requests daily, compared to only hundreds in the past,” he said. “In addition, our complaint management system processes an average of 5,000 inquiries every day through emails and call centres.”
Magaji stressed that managing such volumes would be impossible through manual processes alone, noting that artificial intelligence is essential in complementing human capacity with speed, accuracy, and efficiency.

He admitted that the transition year was particularly demanding, explaining that large-scale transformation often comes with initial setbacks. He thanked stakeholders and customers for their patience and understanding during the adjustment period.

Magaji described the adoption of AI as inevitable, adding that CAC has already become a global reference point for name reservation and business registration, with turnaround times of as little as 10 minutes.

To further strengthen its digital infrastructure, he announced the signing of a Letter of Collaboration between CAC and Google, describing the partnership as strategic to enhancing portal performance and improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

He also unveiled a redesigned CAC website featuring AI-powered tools, including an AI Lawyer that provides instant guidance on CAC laws and procedures, and an AI Name Generator that allows users to generate and reserve scalable business names.

As part of its 35th anniversary initiatives, the commission approved free business name registration for 3,500 small businesses across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Other initiatives include scholarships for the six best corporate law students from each campus of the Nigerian Law School in 2026, donations to internally displaced persons’ camps and orphanages, and a commemorative staff bonus of 25 per cent of one month’s gross salary. Special car and housing loan schemes, as well as board-recommended promotions for pioneer and retiring staff, were also announced.

Delivering a goodwill message, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Commerce, Ahmed Munir, said CAC’s digital reforms have simplified business registration and empowered millions of entrepreneurs to transition from the informal to the formal economy. He pledged continued legislative support to strengthen the commission’s digital infrastructure and transparency.

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, also assured the commission of technical support, noting that the integration of ethical and responsible artificial intelligence is essential for modern institutional transformation.

Established in 1991, the Corporate Affairs Commission remains central to the Federal Government’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s ease-of-doing-business ranking, expand the tax base, and formalise micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises.