Corporate Affairs Commission to Delist 100,000 Non-Compliant Companies

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has started a new crackdown on companies that have failed to follow official rules. Around 100,000 businesses are now at risk of being removed from Nigeria’s official company register because they have not filed their required paperwork.

The CAC announced the move on Thursday in a public notice on its official Facebook page. The regulator explained that it is taking action under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020.

The affected companies have been given 90 days to sort out their records. To avoid being struck off, they must file all their missing annual returns and provide up-to-date details about who actually owns or controls the business.

The commission has already published the list of affected companies on its website. Businesses that top up their paperwork must email proof of compliance to the CAC.

Management warned that any firm missing the 90-day deadline will be permanently removed from the register without any further warning.

The CAC notice stated: “This is to notify the General Public and Esteemed Customers that the Corporate Affairs Commission has commenced another round of striking off names of companies from the Register pursuant to the provisions of Section 692 (3) and (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

“The list of the affected 100,000 companies can be accessed on the Commission’s website. The affected companies are hereby advised to take steps to file all outstanding Annual Returns (and, by extension, Persons with Significant Control/Beneficial Ownership information) and regularise their records within ninety (90) days of this notice. Evidence of compliance should be sent to the designated email address.

“Please note that companies that fail to comply within the stipulated timeline shall be struck off the Register without further notice. The commission remains committed to providing prompt and efficient services to the satisfaction of our valued customers.”

This latest crackdown is part of an ongoing effort to clean up Nigeria’s business list by removing inactive companies and businesses that constantly ignore the rules. The CAC has said many times that keeping an accurate list is important to make the business world more transparent, build trust with investors, and make sure only active, law-abiding companies are kept on record.

This is not the first time the commission has done a large cleanup. In February this year, the CAC announced plans to remove another 100,000 companies for being inactive for too long and breaking the law. The commission also shared that in 2025, it closed down more than 400,000 companies for being inactive or failing to send in their paperwork. This mass cleanup was part of a bigger effort to fix the national register, make corporate records more reliable, and bring Nigeria in line with global standards.

Companies that do not follow these rules will have to pay late fees on top of their normal fees, and they could eventually be completely removed from the list. The rule requiring companies to name the people who actually own and control them is part of Nigeria's broader plan to improve transparency, stop money laundering and illegal money transfers, and follow international rules. Under the law, every registered company must send in a yearly report to the CAC to prove it is still working and following the rules. Regular companies must file this report within 42 days of their registration anniversary, while smaller registered business names must do so before 30 June every year.