FG launches free registration for 250,000 small businesses nationwide

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has unveiled a new initiative to provide free business registration for 250,000 nano, micro, and small enterprises across the country.

The programme was formally launched in Abuja on Friday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies.

Speaking at the event, CAC Registrar-General Hussaini Ishaq Magaji and SMEDAN Director-General Dr. Charles Odii—both of whom marked their second year in office this October—highlighted the importance of the partnership in promoting financial inclusion and driving economic growth.

“Formalization has long been a hurdle for many small businesses, with cost, bureaucracy and lack of awareness keeping millions of entrepreneurs in the informal sector. This often denies them access to finance, markets and government support. The new CAC–SMEDAN scheme removes these barriers by covering the cost of registration and linking beneficiaries directly to SMEDAN’s MSME database,” Magaji said.

According to him, “This drive is about breaking down the barriers that keep too many of our small businesses informal. By removing the cost of business name registration for 250,000 businesses, we are helping more entrepreneurs take the first step toward growth, legitimacy, and access to bigger opportunities. It is also an investment in the MSME ecosystem, as the Commission is forgoing approximately ₦3 billion in registration fees to make this possible.”

On his part, SMEDAN boss Charles Odii emphasized that “Formalization is the gateway to support. By ensuring that these businesses are registered and also onboarded into our database, we can provide continuous aftercare, whether that’s access to grants, training, or new markets. The first step for any MSME wishing to benefit is to register on our portal at portal.smedan.gov.ng.”

He added that every business captured in the agency’s database without CAC documentation would benefit from the free registration drive. “For those who are not digital natives, SMEDAN State Offices nationwide will provide support, and at physical events such as our Business Clinics, the agency will also be available to onboard entrepreneurs,” he said.