Trademark registration is not the same as registration with the commission, this is because trademarks give you the exclusive right to use your brand name and identity.

The body responsible for the registration of Business in Nigeria is the Corporate Affairs Commission  (CAC) while that for Trademark is the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investments.

Yes! You can incorporate a Company with a sole director/shareholder as stipulated in The Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA 2020) 

Yes. You can register your business with your home address pending when you get an office address.

Yes! You can upgrade from a Business Name to a Limited Liability Company. You get to retain your Business Name with the addition of the word "LTD" or " Limited".

It takes 2-10 working days to register a Business Name.

2-10 working days to register a Company

30-50 working days to register an Incorporated Trustee

No, you cannot add your sixteen years old son as a director in your company. The CAMA stipulates that an infant that is a person below the age cannot be a director of a company. However, you can add your son as a shareholder of your company if there are at least two adult shareholders.

You cannot buy properties using a Business Name, a Business Name is not recognised as a legal personality so, it cannot buy or hold properties.

No, your business registration with CAC does not expire. But you have to file annual returns to CAC yearly to show your business is still going concern. Failure to file  annual return may necessitate your business delisted from the CAC register.

Registering your business does not automate paying taxes immediately, you pay tax when you commence business.

No! You can not register an initiative as a business name but as an incorporated trustee under part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020.

Yes! You can change your name on your CAC documents or make any other alterations. The change of name process involves swearing an affidavit, means of identification bearing the name, and filing fees paid to the CAC.

No! Presently, you cannot register a travel & tour business as a business name but as a company with a minimum of 30 million shares of capital.

Trademark registration last for 7 years at first instance. You can renew for additional 14 years.

Yes, you can register the trademark of your logo, brand name, word, product name, and slogan/tagline.

No. Trademark is territorial. You would have to register your trademark in other parts of the world where your mark is used.

Yes! You can sell, assign, transfer, license, or franchise your trademark. 

 Not all businesses are required to register with the special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML). Only Non-political Organisations and Designated Non-financial Businesses and Professions are required to register.

You pay tax when you commence business. Inform the tax authority if you are yet to commence business.

Inform the tax authority you have ceased operations and closed your business to avoid accumulated tax obligations.

Yes! You can pay taxes yourself by signing up for the e-tax services online and the FIRS tax pro max.

You can register for TIN/VAT by visiting the nearest tax station closest to your business address.

You can do so by writing an application on the letterhead of your company to your tax station requesting TIN activation.

The rate for VAT presently is 7.5 per cent. VAT returns are to be made on or before the 21st of every month for the preceding month.

No! A tax clearance certificate is issued for a period of 3 years 

Visit the nearest state inland revenue services of where you reside and carry on business if you are self-employed, a business owner, or an entrepreneur.

The validity of a tax clearance certificate for a company is 12 months.

Patent registration gives the owner of the invention exclusive rights to use the invention for 20 years.

Yes! A patent is territorial, you would have to register in every country your patent is used.

Nigeria Copyright Commission.

Copyright is valid during the life of the author and 70 years after the death of the author.

 Yes! You can sell, assign or transfer your copyright. You can notify the Nigerian Copyright Commission of this.

No! You cannot register a name as copyright but you can trademark the name.

Yes! You can register a logo as a copyrighted graphical representation of your idea. You can also trademark your logo.

If your business shows inactive on the CAC search portal it suggests that your annual return is not updated.