How Much Does It Cost to Register a Business in Nigeria?
Reviewed by Adebayo Sobayo & Adeyemo Adedeji, Legal Practitioner
A specific naira figure for "how much CAC registration costs" would be out of date the moment CAC next revises its fee schedule — which it periodically does. What's actually useful, and doesn't go stale, is understanding the structure of what you're paying for and where to check the real number before you budget.
What the cost is actually made up of
- The CAC fee itself — the government charge for the registration, which differs between a Business Name and a Limited Company, and for a Limited Company scales with the share capital declared.
- Professional or agent fees — if you use a lawyer, accountant, or registration agent to prepare and file the application, their fee is separate from and in addition to what CAC itself charges.
- Incorporation documents — a Limited Company additionally needs Memorandum and Articles of Association prepared, which may carry its own cost depending on who prepares them.
Why a Business Name is generally the cheaper option
As covered in our full guide to CAC registration, a Business Name is the simpler structure: no share capital to declare, no Memorandum and Articles to prepare, and a more straightforward CAC filing overall. That simplicity is reflected in the cost, which is why it's the common starting point for freelancers, small traders, and sole proprietors, while a Limited Company is the standard choice once a business needs the legal separation of a proper company structure or plans to raise investment.
Where to check the actual current fee
CAC's own portal (post.cac.gov.ng) publishes the current fee schedule, and this is the source to check before budgeting rather than a figure repeated from an article that may predate the last revision. If you're registering through a professional or an agent, ask them to confirm both the CAC fee and their own fee as two separate line items, so it's clear what's a government charge and what's a service fee.
A note from experience
Pandas LP itself is registered as a Business Name (BN 9646741), not a Limited Company — the right call for a firm at our stage, and worth genuinely thinking through for your own business rather than defaulting to whichever structure sounds more official.
Register with Pandas LP
Our CAC Registration Agent walks you through the choice between a Business Name and a Limited Company, prepares your CAC forms, and guides you through submission, from ₦15,000 — separate from CAC's own government fee.
This article is general information about CAC registration in Nigeria and is not legal or financial advice. Government fees are set and revised by CAC directly; confirm the current schedule before budgeting.
Common questions
How much does CAC registration cost in Nigeria?
It depends on the structure (Business Name vs. Limited Company) and, for a Limited Company, on the share capital declared — and CAC's fee schedule is revised from time to time. Rather than quote a figure here that may already be out of date by the time you read it, check the current schedule directly on CAC's own portal (post.cac.gov.ng) before budgeting.
Is a Business Name cheaper to register than a Limited Company?
Generally, yes — a Business Name has a simpler registration process and no share capital to declare, which keeps both the CAC fee and the overall cost lower than a Limited Company. See our full comparison of the two structures for what else differs beyond cost.
Does share capital affect how much a Limited Company costs to register?
Yes — a Limited Company's CAC registration fee is tied to the share capital declared at incorporation, so a higher declared share capital generally means a higher registration cost. This is worth discussing with whoever is helping you register, rather than declaring a figure without understanding the cost consequence.
Are there costs beyond the CAC fee itself?
Usually, yes. Beyond CAC's own registration fee, there's commonly a charge for professional help preparing and filing the application correctly (if you use one), and for a Limited Company, the cost of preparing the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Budget for the full picture, not just the government fee line.
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