CAC Business Name Registration for Clinics

CAC business name registration is how a clinic gets its trading name onto the Corporate Affairs Commission's register, and it is done fully online. You reserve the name on CAC's Company Registration Portal, pay, file the registration with each proprietor's ID, photo and signature, pay again, then download your certificate. It is the first registration, and the health regulator's licence comes after it.

Everything below comes from CAC's own website, portal and published checklists.

Business name or company: which should a clinic register?

CAC runs separate registrations. It registers business names, and it incorporates companies, such as private companies limited by shares, limited liability partnerships and incorporated trustees. A business name is the lighter route; a company has more steps, including stamp duty and a manual review.

Points from CAC's own pages that matter for a clinic:

No lawyer required. CAC says individual proprietors can register a business name without a legal practitioner, chartered accountant or chartered secretary (CAC: business name registration).
Speed. The portal's FAQ says business name registrations are AI-approved and processed instantly. Companies still go through manual approval.
Foreign partners. CAC's checklist states that foreigners cannot carry on, or join in carrying on, business under a business name. A clinic with a foreign investor needs a different structure.

Liability, tax and bringing in investors also shape the choice. Settle those with your lawyer or accountant before you file.

Two paths for a new clinic: CAC business name registration or incorporating a company — Two routes at CAC. Pick before you reserve a name.

What to prepare before you log in

CAC's 2022 Operations Checklists set the rules for business names. Have these ready:

Your proposed name, plus two or three back-ups in case it's taken
The nature of business. Where a name suggests a profession, CAC says the first nature of business must reflect that profession, and it must comply with other federal laws for that kind of business
Every proprietor's or partner's full name, with no initials
For each proprietor, image files of a valid photo ID (such as a national ID card or international passport data page), a passport photograph and a signature
The business email, business address and date the business started

Documents must be in English, and what you upload must match what you type on the portal exactly.

Proprietor ID card, passport photograph and signature ready for upload — ID, photo and signature, as images, for every proprietor.

CAC business name registration, step by step

These steps follow CAC's current instructions for its new portal at icrp.cac.gov.ng. Screens change, so follow what the portal shows.

Reserve the name

Log in to the portal and enter the one-time password sent to your email.
Open Name Reservation on the dashboard and click New Reservation.
Choose the classification Business Name and the type, for example Sole Proprietorship.
Enter the name and nature of business, then click Check Availability. If it's taken, update it or ask for suggestions.
Pay. Approval is instant once payment succeeds, and you receive an AV Code.

Register the business name

Click Registration, then Register New Business, and enter your AV Code.
Fill in the business details: email, business address and date of commencement.
Add each proprietor and upload their ID, passport photograph and signature as images.
Preview, then pay through Remita to submit.
Track the status. Pending means wait a minute and refresh. Queried means read the reason, click Modify Application and resubmit. Approved means download your certificate and status report.

Laptop showing CAC business name registration steps: reserve name, AV Code, proprietor uploads, payment, certificate — Reserve, pay, file, pay, download.

Deadlines, fees and restricted words

CAC's checklist says a business name should be registered within 28 days of starting business. After that, it lists a daily penalty of ₦150 for the sole proprietor, or for each partner (CAC Operations Checklists 2022). The simplest habit: file before you open.

CAC publishes its current filing fees in a Summary of Fees on cac.gov.ng. Check it on the day you file, since you pay at reservation and again at registration.

Some words in a name need consent. The portal has a separate Name Requiring Consent route, and those applications go to an approving officer for review. Allow extra time if your name triggers it.

Calendar with a 28-day window circled for CAC business name registration after a clinic starts business — File within 28 days of starting business.

After the certificate: keep the record current

Registration isn't the last filing. CAC's checklist lists notices for a business name when things change:

A new principal place of business or branch address
A change of name or of business objects
Changes to a proprietor's details, or a partner joining or leaving
Annual returns, filed online with a financial statement
Cessation, if the business closes

Moving premises or adding a partner? File the notice when it happens.

CAC first, then the health regulator

A CAC certificate lets you trade under your name. It does not license you to treat patients. In Lagos, HEFAMAA registration asks for your CAC certificate and CAC number among its documents. For the full order of steps, from premises to opening day, see how to start a private hospital in Nigeria.

Two stamps in order: CAC certificate first, then the health facility registration — Your CAC number goes on the health facility application.

Registered. Now fill your bookings.

Paperwork opens the door. Patients still have to find you, trust you and book.

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Questions clinic owners ask about CAC business name registration

Do I need a lawyer for CAC business name registration?

No. CAC says individual proprietors can register a business name without a legal practitioner, chartered accountant or chartered secretary. A lawyer can still advise on business name versus company.

How long does CAC take to approve a business name?

The portal's FAQ says business name registrations are AI-approved and processed instantly. If your application is queried, you read the reason, correct it and resubmit.

Can a foreign partner join a clinic registered as a business name?

No. CAC's checklist says foreigners cannot carry on or join in carrying on business under a business name. Discuss a company structure with your lawyer instead.

Does a business name file annual returns?

Yes. CAC lists annual returns for business names as an online form filed with a financial statement.

CAC business name registration for a clinic, step by step