The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has removed over 400,000 inactive companies from its registry in 2025 as part of efforts to improve transparency and boost investor confidence.
The Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Magaji, SAN, made this known on Saturday in Abuja during the commission’s monthly fitness walk, organised as part of activities to mark its 35th anniversary.
Magaji explained that most of the affected entities were companies that had not filed statutory annual returns for several years and were no longer in operation, noting that such firms posed risks to economic integrity.
He said: “In 2025 alone, we deregistered over 400,000 companies from our records. These were largely companies that had become inactive and failed to meet statutory obligations, including filing annual returns.
“Such entities pose threats to economic operations. Cleaning up the register was necessary to build confidence and ensure that Nigeria has a credible and reliable corporate registry.”
He said the deregistration is part of the CAC’s ongoing reforms to maintain a credible and reliable corporate registry, attracting domestic and foreign investors while curbing misuse of corporate structures for illegal activities.
He emphasized that a transparent register is vital for Nigeria’s economic growth.
The CAC has transformed into a fully digital, end-to-end service provider, allowing businesses to register and manage operations remotely, 24/7.
This digital shift supports the Federal Government’s ease-of-doing-business reforms.
In collaboration with SMEDAN, CAC facilitated free registration for 250,000 MSMEs in 2025, providing training and capacity-building support. Improved staff welfare and digital transformation have enhanced service delivery.
