The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced new mandatory requirements for all business name updates carried out on its online portal, effective immediately. Business owners seeking to modify any details linked to their registered business name must now provide personal information, including date of birth, official and personal emails, phone numbers, and a valid means of identification.
The new directive was disclosed in a post on the Commission’s official X handle on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
According to the CAC, every Business Name Online Update submission must now include the proprietor’s date of birth, the registered office email, the proprietor’s personal email address, an office or proprietor’s phone number, and a valid ID such as a NIN slip, driver’s licence, international passport or voter’s card. Any omission, the Commission warned, will lead to delays or outright rejection.
The CAC said the revised guidelines form part of wider efforts to clean up its database, strengthen verification, and curb fake or fraudulent business record updates. With millions of business names—many outdated or linked to unverifiable proprietors—the new checks are expected to improve traceability and enhance collaboration with agencies such as the EFCC and FIRS during investigations.
This latest move builds on a series of digital reforms undertaken by the CAC since 2018, when it began migrating services to the Company Registration Portal (CRP). By 2021, 98 per cent of applications were being processed online, significantly reducing the need for physical visits. In 2023, NIN became compulsory for company directors during incorporation as part of efforts to tackle identity fraud.
With more than 4.2 million registered business names on record as of mid-2025—and over 300,000 new registrations annually—the Commission has faced growing pressure to secure its data systems. Fake business names have been used to open bank accounts, obtain loans and evade taxes, prompting calls for tighter verification.
Reactions to the new rules have been mixed. While some business owners complain the additional requirements create “extra stress” for simple amendments, others welcome the safeguards. “If it stops someone from changing my business name behind my back, I’ll gladly provide my birthday and email,” a Lagos trader told Observers Times.
For business owners planning to update their details, the CAC’s message is clear: ensure all required documents and information are ready before applying.
The new update rules are now in effect nationwide, and compliance is mandatory.