Register your Business Online in Nigeria with 3 Steps

This article shows you how to Register your Business Online. A long time ago, in order to Register your Business Online in Nigeria, you will have to go through a lawyer or an accountant and it could take a very long time, but today you can register your business online at the comfort of your home, with your laptop and internet connection.

Here is a summary of the task at hand during your online business registration

1. Navigate to services.cac.gov.ng
2. Create your Account
3. Login to your Account
4. Conduct Availability Search
5. Register your Business Online
6. Download Stamp Document

Furthermore, the remainder of the article will describe to you in detail how you can register your business online with Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria, please note that this process does not require a Lawyer, Chartered Accountant or an Agent, you will, however, need a MasterCard and an Internet Connection. So go ahead and Register your Business Online.

You may ask, How can you Register your Business Online? Is it Possible?

You can now register your Business Name with the online portal of The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Connection to the Company Registration Portal (CRP)

Create your Account

• Click on create an account on the home page of the Portal.
• Complete the forms displayed

NOTE:

• ACCREDITED USERS should select ‘’ARE YOU AN ACCREDITED CUSTOMER?’’ and enter their accreditation number in this format for individual NBA/IND/12345 or ICAN/IND/12345 or ICSAN/IND/12345, and firm NBA/FM/12345, or ICAN/FM/12345, or ICSAN/FM/12345.
• Accredited users should enter the e-mail address used during accreditation.
• Enter the catcher as displayed in the box.
• Click on submit.

FOR GENERAL USERS, the system will display the pre-entered ‘’USER NAME’’ and the auto-generated ‘’PASSWORD’’ immediately, but accredited users are mailed their ‘’USER NAME’’ and ‘’PASSWORD’’ after approval at the back office.

ACCESSING THE CRP AFTER ACCOUNT CREATION

• Enter the ‘’USER NAME’’ and ‘’PASSWORD’’.
• Click on ‘’LOGIN’’
• Accept terms of use.
• Change your ‘’PASSWORD’’.
• You can thereafter transact business with the commission using your profile without any interruption.

CONDUCT AVAILABILITY

Before you proceed to conduct the Availability please perform a public search here to check if your name is available to prevent you from conducting an Availability Search on an already taken name, the payment you will make is non-refundable, so you should ensure your name is not already taken before proceeding

• Log in using your profile details.
• Select ‘’NEW NAME RESERVATION’’.
• Complete the forms displayed.

NOTE:

• Always make use of the ‘’CONTINUE’’ button until you get to the end of the form and make payment.
• For Incorporated Trustee make sure you provide the main object in the column provided.
• All fields make asterisks and in red are compulsory and must be populated.

TO VIEW AVAILABILITY APPROVAL

• Log in with your profile.
• Click on ‘’ACTION’’ button’’ on the name already reserved.
• Click on DOWNLOAD OF NAME APPROVAL’’.
• The system will download the document at the base of your computer system.
• Click on the ‘’OPEN’’ option, the approved availability will be displayed.
• NOTE: This is where you see the availability serial number that is required for registration.

REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE: COMPANY, BUSINESS NAME, INCORPORATED TRUSTEES

• Reserve name.
• Log in with your profile.
• Select ‘’REGISTRATION’’
• Select the classification that is ‘’BUSINESS NAME, or COMPANY, or INCORPORATED TRUSTEE’’.
• Enter the availability serial code.
• Click on continue.
• Enter the details of the ‘’PROPRIETOR, DIRECTORS, TRUSTEES, SHAREHOLDERS, SECRETARY (depending on whether you are registering a BUSINESS NAME, COMPANY, or INCORPORATED TRUSTEE).

NOTE:

• Where the director of the company is also a shareholder select the director that has the dual role enter the number of shares and classification of shares then click on ‘’ADD SELECTED RECORD’’.
• For companies and Incorporated Trustees, click on ‘’ADD AN OBJECT’’ or ‘’ADD OBJECTS’’ and type in the nature of Business or objects for which the company or
• The incorporated trustee is registered, then click on ‘’ADD’’. Continue to add the object until all the objects have been added.
• For companies, either adopt the ‘’ARTICLE’’ or edit by adding or removing the content of the Article and replacing the same with your Articles.
• Select the ‘’DROP OFF and PICK UP STATE’’.
• Click on continue until payment is made.
• Select ‘’GET STAMP’’ to stamp the document electronically.
• Make payment for electronic stamping.
• The system will automatically affix the electronic stamp duties on the documents (Form CAC1.1, and Memorandum and Article of Association).

TO DOWNLOAD STAMP DOCUMENT

• Select ‘’REGISTRATION’’.
• The system will display the list of companies registered.
• Under the ‘’DOCUMENT’’ click on ‘’DOWNLOAD DOCUMENTS’’. Or
• Click on the ‘’ACTION’’ button.
• Select ‘’DOWNLOAD DOCUMENTS’’.
• Print the document.
• TO UPLOAD DOCUMENTS ON THE DOCUMENT UPLOAD INTERFACE
• The documents already printed must be signed by the directors/subscribers
• Enter the company/Business name/Incorporated Trustee ‘’AVAILABILITY CODE’’.
• Select the ‘’ORIGINATING OFFICE’’ (THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL PICK UP THE CERTIFICATE).
• Select ‘’I AM NOT A ROBOT’’ then follow the instruction.
• Click on ‘’BEGIN’’.
• Select the type of document to be attached one after the other and attach each one after properly identifying same.
• After attaching all the documents click on submit.

Please note that the Documents to be uploaded for Business Name Registration are as follows:
Business Name Registration Form (Form BN1)
Proficiency Certificate (Where Applicable)
Residence Permit (Where Applicable)
Means of Identification
Payment Receipt (RRR)

AFTER UPLOADING WHAT’S NEXT

• The Commission will rely on the uploaded documents to treat your application. The certificate will be generated by the Commission and all relevant documents will be certified.
• You don’t have to come to the Commission to follow up on the status of your application, you can check the status of your application on the portal. There is a column that reads ‘’STATUS’’ on your profile. This will show the state or status of the application, it will show ‘’NOT SUBMITTED, or SUBMITTED, or PENDING APPROVAL, or APPROVED depending on the stage the application is.
• Also, note that where the application is approved and certificate generated the Registration number will be displayed on the column for ‘’REGISTRATION NUMBER’’.
• When the status reads ‘’APPROVED’’ and Registration number displayed, then you can approach the office where you had selected as the DROP-OFF/PICK UP OFFICE or ‘’ORIGINATING OFFICE’’ with the original copy of the document that you had earlier printed and uploaded. You should submit the originals in exchange for the certificate and CTC’s.
• AUTOMATIC TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (TIN) GENERATION: Immediately a certificate of incorporation is generated in the CRP, a TIN will be issued and sent to customer’s email address from the FIRS/JTB through the Integrated Stamp duty System (ISDS) Portal. This has dispensed with the need for a separate TIN application to the Joint Tax Board

If you want to know the cost associated with registering your business online you can view the Summary fo Fees and Forms

Hope this article has helped you Register your Business Online

Here are 7 benefits of registering your Business online

• Firstly, you will be issued a certificate of incorporation by the appropriate government agency
• Secondly, registering your business online gives your potential customers confidence that they are dealing with a reputable organization
• Another great benefit of registering your company name is to use it to open a corporate account in your company name
• When you register your business as a Limited Liability Company, you are a different entity from your company. You also get legal liability protection. If you incorporate, you will not be held personally responsible for certain accidents and other liabilities. Therefore if you obtained a loan and you defaulted in payment, your bank will not seize your property except the company asset because you are protected from such incidence.
• When your company is registered, accessing a loan becomes very easy compared to a personal loan application. With your documents, you are going to have to prove that you’re actually a business. This gives credibility and trust and also ensures confidence and your investors or lenders will see that they are dealing with a company and will be willing to lend you money if other terms and conditions are made.
• A registered business can employ full-time employees and pay them salaries and other benefits.
• Lastly, another great benefit of business registration is that you can easily obtain a visa and travel to any country for business purposes.

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