The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) recently launched a new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered business registration portal aimed at speeding up company registration processes. However, the rollout has been marred by persistent technical difficulties, causing significant challenges and frustration for businesses across Nigeria.
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Introduced on June 30, the upgraded portal was touted by CAC Registrar-General Hussaini Magaji as a major overhaul of the previous system, designed to simplify tasks such as name reservation, business registration, and filing of statutory documents. According to Mr. Magaji, name approvals would be almost instant, with AI suggesting alternatives and enabling registration using just a National Identification Number (NIN). The commission targeted completing business registration within 30 minutes, including certificate issuance via email, contingent on real-time NIN verification.
Despite these promises, lawyers who act as registration agents report that the portal has been largely inaccessible for weeks. Many users have been unable to perform critical functions such as conducting name searches, registering new business names, filing post-incorporation documents, or submitting annual returns. This has sparked fears about Nigeria’s ease of doing business and risks deterring potential investors.
An Abuja-based lawyer, Yomi Ogunsanya, lamented, “We discovered that the portal was changed abruptly without adequate notice, and the AI system indiscriminately rejects name searches. For over a week, we have been unable to register businesses or file important documents just weeks before a scheduled fee increase in August.”
Another lawyer, Olalekan Oladapo, described the experience as “frustrating,” highlighting login issues, duplicated usernames, and failed payment transactions. “The commission issued a last-minute notice about an upgrade but failed to address existing problems or provide a clear timeline for fixes. There’s also no feedback mechanism for users to report difficulties,” he said.
Lawyer Arome Okwori warned that the problems “may discourage investors who want to register and do business in Nigeria,” while Obinna Orji noted that the portal glitches affect payments and will impact the ease of doing business depending on the sector.
The CAC had announced a planned fee revision starting August 1 to align with rising operational costs and economic realities. Some stakeholders suspect the technical challenges could be deliberate, potentially to justify the fee hike.
Responding to our correspondent, CAC Public Affairs Director Dominic Inyang acknowledged the earlier glitches but assured that the system is now “working optimally.” He explained, “This is technology; issues occur, but we have resolved them.”
Nigeria’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report has fluctuated in recent years, rising from 170th in 2015 to 131st in 2020. The government aims to improve further under the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) initiative, targeting a top-70 ranking by 2023.
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