Several Nigerians who registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2023 are now facing frustrating challenges retrieving their documents online.
Africa Health Reports, AHR, checks indicate that hundreds of thousands of affected individuals say they are unable to access or download their certificates and other registration files.
Further checks by AHR show that the CAC Central Area office in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is receiving numerous complaints relating to this when our reporter visited the office.
At the CAC Abuja office, AHR spoke with Barrister Amaka, a legal officer, who shed light on the process and why many users are encountering this issue.
“When individuals register their businesses as public users, they’re allowed to complete the registration without needing an accredited agent,” she explained. “However, once a company or business name is registered, that public user loses access to make any post-registration applications through the portal. This means if the person failed to download the certificate within seven days after registration, they no longer have access to it.”
According to Barrister Amaka, retrieving these documents now requires going through the post-registration portal, which only accredited CAC agents can access. She clarified that users will need to apply for Certified True Copies (CTC) of the certificate and status report to get their files back.
“The status report costs ₦10,500, and the certificate also costs ₦10,500,” she said. “But additional documentation like a police abstract, affidavit of loss, and other small paperwork could push the cost of retrieving a certificate to around ₦15,000.”
She dismissed fears of fraud or extortion, stating that the process is legitimate and traceable.
“If you bring the name of the business and the money for the status report, you’ll get it within an hour. The certificate might take two to three days due to the processing of supporting documents. It’s not a scam, and you can be present during the application,” she assured.
This revelation comes as many complain that changing locations or losing devices has made retrieving digital copies difficult. Citizens are now urging the CAC to review the current digital access policy and make the process more user-friendly.
“It’s discouraging. People are trying to do the right thing, register legally, and still face these hurdles. CAC should create a better way for individuals to retrieve their own documents without depending entirely on agents,” one complainant told AHR.
The growing concerns may call for broader reform in how post-registration access is handled, particularly for public users.
