Commission’s digital overhaul accelerates business formalisation, boosts efficiency and expands support for entrepreneurs nationwide….
The Corporate Affairs Commission has recorded a sharp rise in business registration activity, revealing that it now processes up to 10,000 applications daily following the deployment of artificial intelligence across its service platforms. The development marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s effort to formalise businesses and strengthen the corporate registry.
Registrar-General of the commission, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during an anniversary lecture held to mark the CAC’s 35th year, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria.
Magaji explained that the introduction of artificial intelligence has dramatically improved the commission’s ability to handle the growing volume of registrations and customer interactions across the country.
He linked the surge in applications to recent tax reforms, government policies encouraging the transition of informal businesses into the formal economy, and the rapid expansion of digital and social media-driven enterprises.
According to him, the commission now receives close to 10,000 business registration requests every day, a major leap from the few hundred applications it processed in earlier years. In addition, CAC’s systems currently manage an average of 5,000 customer inquiries daily through email channels and call centres.
He noted that handling such volumes through manual processes would have been nearly impossible, stressing that artificial intelligence has become central to improving processing speed, accuracy and operational efficiency.
Magaji said the commission has transformed from operating a single manual office in Abuja in 1991 into a fully digital, end-to-end corporate registry delivering services globally on a round-the-clock basis.
While acknowledging that the transition to an AI-powered registration portal in 2025 initially presented operational challenges, he said the system is now delivering strong results. He expressed appreciation to stakeholders and users for their patience during the transition and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to providing world-class corporate services.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Commerce, Ahmed Munir, assured the commission of legislative backing to strengthen digital infrastructure, transparency and innovation. He noted that CAC’s digital transformation has simplified business registration and enabled millions of entrepreneurs to move from the informal to the formal sector.
Also speaking, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, pledged technical support for the commission’s AI-driven reforms. He said the transformation of public institutions increasingly depends on adopting and integrating artificial intelligence into operational systems.
In earlier developments, the CAC deregistered more than 400,000 companies in 2025 over prolonged inactivity and failure to comply with statutory requirements. Magaji said the move was intended to strengthen the credibility and integrity of Nigeria’s corporate registry.
The commission also facilitated free business registration for 250,000 entrepreneurs in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, an initiative aimed at supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and easing their entry into the formal economy.
Magaji further announced a strategic partnership between the CAC and Google designed to strengthen the commission’s technology infrastructure. He said the collaboration would improve portal performance, enhance system reliability and reduce service turnaround time, ultimately supporting Nigeria’s ease of doing business.
As part of its digital transformation drive, the commission has introduced new artificial intelligence-powered tools on its redesigned website, including an AI legal assistant that responds to regulatory inquiries and a business name generator that simplifies the name reservation process.
He said these initiatives align with CAC’s broader goals of improving transparency, strengthening efficiency and supporting national economic development.
About the Author
