STEPS TO REGISTERING A BUSINESS NAME IN NIGERIA

Are you thinking of owning a business? Or you already own a Startup or Small Business? Or maybe you are thinking of investing in an SME business, and you want to register such business. You are in the right spot.

Registering a business is very pertinent.  People will recognize you as a legal entity in the country. Also, your business will have a voice both locally and internationally.

But before you register your business, you have to be extremely careful, so that you wouldn’t fall into the hands of crooks and fraudsters. However, this post will guide you on the different steps of registering a business name without stress and mistakes.

The Benefits of Registering a Business Name in Nigeria

When we talk about registering a business name. It is not just giving your business a name. It is a whole lot more than that. There are lots of benefits you tend to get when you register your business. These benefits include:

• Your company automatically becomes a legal entity in the country
• People from different walks of life will recognize your business as a legal entity
• Your business will have a voice both in locally and internationally
• Once you are a  legal entity, you are allowed to expand to other nations
• Local and International investors can invest in your business

Requirements for Registering a Business Name 

To register your business, you must meet up to the under-listed requirements.

• Intended business name
• Indicate the proposed type of business to be registered(Private Limited Company or Private Unlimited Company)
• Names and means of identifications of the proprietor of the business
• If more than one person, names and the means of identification of the partners or proprietors of the company.
• Partnership deed where necessary
• The objectives and business of the company
• The address of the company.
• The Memorandum and the Articles of Association of the Company. A Legal Practitioner usually drafts the memorandum. However, the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) has provided a generic MEMART, which any new company can adopt.

Steps to Register a Business Name in Nigeria

There is no hard and fast rule in registering a business name in Nigeria. Meanwhile, below are guidelines to avoid mistakes.

Step One

Select a Name – This is the first step you have to take before you can register your business. You must decide and select on what name to use to register your business.

Visit the CAC portal/website: Also, to check the availability of your proposed business name, you have to visit the CAC portal and apply. The CAC will conduct a quick search in its database to determine if the proposed name or a similar one is already taken.

After the name search, if the name is not on their database, then the CAC will approve the name and reserve it for 60 days. During these periods of reservation, the CAC expects you to complete the registration process for your business name.

Step Two

In this step, you have to;

Fill in all the necessary registration details in the Statutory Form(FORM BN1). Click to view Statutory Form

Pay incorporation filing and stamp duty(Online).

Upload the required scanned documents (Approval Note, Statutory Form (FORM BN 1, Means of identification, Payment Receipt and Proficiency certificate(where applicable).

Step Three

After the registration of the business name, the following documents would be given to the proprietors by the CAC:
The Original Certificate of registration of the business name
The CTC of the Application for the Registration of the business name

Besides, the entire registration process should not take more than a week, depending on the workload of the CAC at the moment.

Cost of Registering a Business

It does not cost much to register one’s business. The registration fee varies based on the type of payment and company you are registering. Therefore, click to view the complete Summary of Fees.

Conclusion

Now that you have the full details on the steps in registering your business. Hurry! Register your business and enjoy its benefits.