The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria maintains a registry of all entities legally incorporated under Nigerian law. These include private and public companies, incorporated trustees, and business names. As of 2025, thousands of corporations operate under CAC registration, with many being household names across various industries such as banking, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture, and consumer goods.
How to Access the CAC Registry
To check if a company is duly registered with the CAC, you can use the following methods:
- The CAC public search portal available through their site or via pre.cac.gov.ng. This lets you search by company name, RC number, or approved name. It shows whether the company is ACTIVE or INACTIVE. 0
- Visiting the CAC official website under the Companies section to review services, resources, and updates. 1
- Using complementary tools like business directories or “NG Check” which might provide additional public info. But verify using CAC’s own portal for authoritative status. 2
Importance of CAC Registration
Registration with the CAC confers legal recognition, enabling companies to do many things that unregistered entities can’t. These include entering into contracts, suing or being sued, opening corporate bank accounts, applying for licenses, raising capital, and participating in tenders. It also enhances credibility with investors, customers, partners, and regulatory agencies.
Read Also: CAC Pre Incorporation and CAC Post Incorporation Registration 2025: Complete Guide
Prominent Companies Registered with CAC
Below are some of the largest or well-known companies that are registered with the CAC. Because CAC is the legal incorporation authority in Nigeria, any legitimate public company or large private company must be registered. These are just a few examples that illustrate the range of sectors and operations.
- Dangote Cement Plc – A major manufacturer of cement and building materials in Nigeria and across Africa.
- Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) – Operates in agro-allied, food, and related sectors.
- Zenith Bank Plc – One of Nigeria’s leading commercial banks, serving retail and corporate clients.
- Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc – Offers banking, asset management, pensions, and financial services.
- Konga.com – An e-commerce enterprise involved in retail and logistics.
- Halogen Group Nigeria – A security service provider operating as a private limited liability company.
Other Examples From CAC Registered Companies List
There are many other companies listed in CAC documents and registries. For instance, a NASD-published document provides an extensive list of companies registered under CAC. Some additional companies from that list include:
- Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc
- Agip Nigeria Plc
- Air Liquide Nigeria Plc
- Alliance & General Insurance Plc
- British American Tobacco Plc
- BUA Group
- Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc
- Dufil Prima Foods Plc
- Geregu Power Plc
- Niger Delta Exploration and Production Plc
- Portharcourt Electricity Distribution Plc
How Many Companies Are Registered with CAC?
The CAC registry is extensive. Daily new entities are incorporated, including business names, private companies, and incorporated trustees. Because new registrations are continuous, any fixed list becomes outdated quickly. CAC updates its database regularly through the public search portal.
While there is no publicly downloadable file listing all registered companies due to volume and protection of some data, CAC does provide strike-off lists and certain public records. These include documents listing companies that have been struck off for non-compliance.
Verifying a Company’s CAC Registration Status
To verify whether a company is truly registered and its operational status, here are the steps you should take:
- Go to the CAC public search via pre.cac.gov.ng and use the search tool. Enter the company name or registration number.
- Check for its RC (Registration Certificate) number, date of incorporation, and whether its status is “ACTIVE” or “INACTIVE.”
- If necessary, consult additional government or NGO directories for supporting info (address, ownership, directors). These are not always available in full via CAC due to privacy or regulation.
- Check for filings of annual returns, change of address, or updates. A company that fails to file required returns may be marked inactive or struck-off.
Challenges Related to CAC Company Lists
There are also several limitations and challenges when using publicly available CAC lists:
- Data may be incomplete or lagging behind real-time changes, especially for newly registered companies.
- Some company details such as full ownership, shareholder breakdown, or business objectives may not be fully disclosed or readily available in public search results.
- Inactive companies, or those struck off, may still appear in old lists but may not be legally able to operate.
- Because there are thousands of companies, compiling or maintaining a downloadable complete active registry file is difficult for CAC to make public due to data privacy, security, and volume.
Sectoral Spread of Registered CAC Companies
CAC-registered companies span many sectors. Below are examples of sectors and some of the representative companies in each:
- Banking & Financial Services: Zenith Bank Plc; Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc; many microfinance banks and savings & loans companies.
- Manufacturing & Agro-industrial: Flour Mills of Nigeria; Dufil Prima Foods; Dangote Cement; Nigerian Bottling Company; etc.
- Telecommunications & Technology: Firms like MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, other infrastructure companies.
- Oil, Gas & Energy: Nigeria LNG; Nigerian Petroleum Development; energy utilities; power distribution companies like Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc.
- Insurance & Risk Management: Companies like Alliance & General Insurance Plc; British American Insurance; etc.
- Construction, Infrastructure & Real Estate: Public‐private utilities; construction firms; property development companies.
- E-Commerce / Retail: Konga; Nigerian Bottling; others.
The Role of CAC in Maintaining Company Data & Compliance
The CAC under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) is responsible not only for registering companies but also enforcing compliance. Registered companies must file annual returns, maintain up-to-date records of directors and subscribers, and make changes in share capital or address known to the Commission. Failure to do so may result in penalties, or companies becoming inactive, or being struck off. CAC publishes strike-off lists to inform the public of companies removed due to non-compliance.
Read Also: CAC Business Name Registration 2025 Full Guide
Why having an Updated List Matters for Stakeholders
For investors, partners, suppliers, job seekers, and regulatory bodies, knowing which companies are properly registered is essential. It provides legal certainty, reduces risk of fraud, enables due diligence, and ensures accountability. Publicly traded companies especially require transparency, and their registration status often underlies financial, contractual, and legal operations.
Conclusion
The CAC registry in Nigeria includes all legally incorporated entities—private, public, and non-profit—with many well-known companies among them. While no exhaustive downloadable list of every registered entity exists publicly in a current format, CAC’s public search portal (accessible via pre.cac.gov.ng) provides real-time verification of company names, registration numbers, status, and other critical details.
Whether you’re contemplating doing business, investing, partnering, or just verifying a company for credibility purposes, using CAC’s search tools is the most reliable way to confirm registration. Prominent companies like Dangote Cement, Zenith Bank, Flour Mills, Stanbic IBTC, and many others set examples of compliance and corporate presence. Make sure any company you engage with is ACTIVE, appropriately registered, and up to date with its filings.
