The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), in collaboration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), has commenced a nationwide drive to provide free business-name registration for 250,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The initiative, according to the agencies, is designed to remove the cost barrier to business formalisation, giving MSMEs easier access to loans, grants, markets and other government interventions.
SMEDAN explained that enterprises already listed on its database but without CAC registration automatically qualify for the exercise. Beneficiaries will have their statutory registration fees waived and receive their CAC certificates once the process is completed.
Step-by-step application guide:
- Visit the SMEDAN portal: free CAC registration drive:👉 https://portal.smedan.gov.ng
- Sign up and complete the online registration form.
- When asked if you have a CAC number, select “No.”
- Submit your details to complete the SMEDAN registration.
- Await official contact from SMEDAN/CAC with further instructions to finalise your free CAC registration.
Authorities have urged applicants to use only the official SMEDAN portal to avoid fraudulent schemes.
