House Urges CAC to Harness Digital Tools to Empower Entrepreneurs

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The House of Representatives has called on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to fully leverage digital tools and artificial intelligence to empower entrepreneurs and formalize Nigeria’s economy.

Ahmed Munir-Lere, Chairman of the House Committee on Commerce, made the call on Monday in Abuja, during CAC’s 35th anniversary, warning that millions of Nigerian entrepreneurs remain constrained by outdated registration processes.

“Every business certificate issued is a birth certificate of growth,” Lere said, emphasizing CAC’s critical role in driving national prosperity.

Lere outlined a vision for regional integration, including links with a West African Corporate Affairs Commission and an ECOWAS-backed stock market to expand capital access, strengthen Nigeria’s presence in global markets, and foster innovation-driven growth.

He praised CAC’s ongoing digital transformation and said AI is essential to enhancing efficiency, transparency, and the security of business registration processes. “AI will infuse intelligence into every process, ensuring that Nigerian entrepreneurs are propelled by a system as ambitious as they are,” he added.

Registrar-General Hussaini Magaji highlighted CAC’s 35-year evolution from a single manual office in Garki, Abuja, to a nationwide 24/7 digital registry handling 10,000 business registrations and 5,000 inquiries daily.

He announced a partnership with Google, a redesigned CAC website featuring an AI Lawyer and Name Generator, and several social initiatives:

• Free registration for 3,500 small businesses nationwide

• Scholarships for six top corporate law students

• Donations of 120 mattresses to IDP camps and support for orphanages

• Staff recognition including a 25% commemorative bonus, special car and housing loans, and promotions for pioneers and retiring staff

Magaji said these initiatives reinforce CAC’s commitment to formalizing businesses, improving efficiency, and fostering trust in Nigeria’s corporate environment.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi, applauded CAC for shaping Nigeria’s corporate landscape and improving the ease of doing business. Highlighting CAC’s role in Nigeria’s exit from the Global Financial Action Task Force Grey List, Rimi praised digital innovations that now allow businesses to be registered in under three minutes.

He stressed that the next phase of CAC’s journey should be driven by innovation, AI, blockchain technology, inclusivity, and global competitiveness, ensuring even rural enterprises have access to corporate data for due diligence and growth. Rimi congratulated CAC for 35 years of resilience, purpose, and national impact, while pledging the Ministry’s continued support for the commission’s initiatives.

Both the House Committee and the Ministry emphasized that digital transformation, AI adoption, and business formalization are central to Nigeria’s economic growth, entrepreneurship empowerment, and regional integration.