If you are looking to conduct a Nigeria company registry search you should first understand that any company looking to do business in Nigeria must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the local company registry in the country which is solely responsible for registering businesses in Nigeria.
The CAC was created under local legislation known as the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). A successfully registered company must have an appropriate company name, registered address, shareholders, articles of association, directors, etc. The CAC issues a certificate of incorporation detailing the company’s name and date of registration, including a unique RC number to all registered companies in Nigeria or a BN number if the company is a sole proprietorship.
How to conduct a basic Nigeria company registry search
The CAC unveiled its portal for name searches in 2018 and it allows a basic Nigeria company registry search that allows people to quickly verify the registration of a company they are dealing with. To conduct this basic Nigeria company registry search simply:
Visit the official website of the Corporate Affairs Commission
Find the Public Search button and click on it.
Type the business name or the company’s registration number in the search box.
If the company is registered, a dialogue box with its full name, address, and RC number pops up. However, if it is not registered, you will get a message stating, “SEARCH NOT FOUND.”
A basic Nigeria company registry search is never enough
A basic search on the Corporate Affairs Commission’s website does not provide the complete details such as information about:
- Past and current directors
- Share capital
- Current shareholders and the amount of shares they own
- Liens on company shares and assets
- Tax compliance
- Legal injunctions or restrictions against the company
Such detailed information that requires a physical visit to the offices of the CAC which can only be conducted by licensed representatives such as our in-house lawyers and investigators.
The Enhanced Due Diligence offering
Advanced Nigeria company registry search information can be obtained with us visiting the CAC directly and we do this as one component of our Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) package . An EDD investigation goes beyond the scope of an advanced Nigeria company registry search, to help you determine if a company is reputable and is not exposed to any form of reputational risk. Shareholders may be politically exposed individuals or their proxies, directors might be engaged in criminal activity or exposed to court cases, the company may be bankrupt or even non-existent.
With Enhanced Due Diligence you are best prepared through comprehensive vetting of potential business partners rather than just restricting yourself to just a Nigeria company registry search which offers limited information about such partners, their local involvements and interests.
Please feel free to Contact Us so we can assist with these and other investigative requirements you may have in Nigeria.
