Share your questions with regards company registration in Nigeria.

QN: I want to register a company as a HOLDING, what are the requirements?

ANS: Before you can register a company as a HOLDING in Nigeria, you must have at least 3 registered subsidiary companies with common shareholders.

omogidi234:

Many thanks for this insightful post. I quite agree with you, I mean Why pay a lawyer/professional a huge sum of money when you could do it yourself or use an in-house person? These are services you can conveniently complete online in other climes.
But please let me add this; when you pay a lawyer/professional for services you can possibly do yourself, you are taking off the stress involved in that line of services off your neck. As for people in-house, lawyer use them with PR to assist in speeding up the process and not necessarily to do the work. Let us look at company registration, as a staff of CAC you are not expected to do personal work, if you do and you are caught, disciplinary measures would be taken against you and such work would probably be kept in view. Although, it is the order of the day in most government agencies but the truth is " if you are caught" you will pay dearly as it is against Civil Service Regulation. In this case, lawyers would have completed all the necessary paper work, submit/file and ask the staff member to help follow up, this applies to the TM issue as well. So please "don't get it twisted" like D'banj would say.

To top it off, a professional can charge any amount for any service rendered to you as long it is separated from statutory fees.
Without trying to overdo it, even if someone pays a huge/questionable sum into your account, if you can claim with documents that it is professional fees, that would be the end of such inquiry. The point here is that no Law regulates Professional fees in Nigeria, people charge based on standing and years of experience and professional fees are not subjected to inquiry.

Many thanks.

Well spoken!!!

olowo p: sir like how much to register for enpterise company and when u are a new comer in the field u are going toand what are the aspect you can register for.

This inquiry is not totally clear to me. Please, call us on 08055981421 to speak with us.

Call us for a UK or US company registration. Check signature below or profile for contact details.

Got more questions for us?

Hello Nairalanders,
It's a new week! Start submitting your proposed biz names for an opportunity to do a free search for you, while you just await the result.

The Free Business Name search is still on. Even if your proposed biz name was denied, you don't have anything to lose. We bear the cost. If it's approved, then we proceed to help you get it registered once you payment appropriate fees.

Keep the text messages or calls coming in.

henrijin: But SCUML doesn't cover all businesses

SCUML is for DFIs (designated non-financial institutions).

Which Businesses And Professions Are Currently Being Regulated By SCUML?

Ans:

Dealers in Jewelries , Dealers in Luxury Goods, Chartered/Professional Accountants, Audit Firms, Tax Consultants, Clearing and Settlement Companies, Legal Practitioners, Trust and Company Service Providers. Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Hotels and Hospitality industry, Dealers and Miners of Precious Stones and Metals, Pool Betting, Casino and Lottery, Supermarkets,Non-Governmental Organizations, Consultants and Consulting companies, Construction Companies, Estate Agents, Dealers in Real Estate, Importers and Dealers in cars and vehicles Dealers in Mechanized farming equipment and machinery. Practitioners of mechanized farming and any other business(es) as may be designated from time to time by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment or SCUML.

Visit the scuml website scuml(dot)org

1. Duly register the company at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
2. Register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) of the Ministry of Finance for Corporate Income Tax and VAT
3. Register for Personal Income Tax (PAYE) at the State Tax Office.
4. Register at the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) department of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
5. For placement of signage/billboard within your business premises, register with the signage administration agency in your state.

Nairalanders, any addition or subtraction? Or are there addition requirements in your own state?

QUESTION: Is having a bank account a requirement for registering a company in Nigeria?

ANSWER: No. You do not need to have a bank account to register a business name or company.

Question: I live in Rivers State. Do you serve clients outside Lagos too because I need to use your service for a new company I intend floating?

Answer: Yes, we serve clients who live within Lagos, outside Lagos, and outside Nigeria. In a bid to actualising the company's vision to provide prompt and genuine company registration support services to existing and potential clients spread across Nigeria, we signed up with Trans-Nationwide Express Plc (Tranex) as our official courier partner.

Now, clients in far away states outside Lagos can make a request for our company registration support service via phone or website, and get their registration documents via courier once it is ready. Whether Lagos or Kano, Nigeria or abroad, distance is no problem to us.

omogidi234: @loudmedia,

Please check my post in your company registration thread. SCUML has nothing do with EFCC per se, it is a creation of an Act arising from the amended anti laundering Act. SCUML is working under the Trade and Investment Ministry with the collaboration of CBN, who in turn issues a regulation that no Designated Non- Financial Institutions shall open or maintain a bank account until such DFNI produces a certificate of registration from SCUML. In compliance with CBN directive, banks began implementation of the SCUML certificate of registration on February 1, 2013.

The part that relates to EFCC is that banks are mandated to report any transaction above N10m to the EFCC. This one is not new, any banker or anyone who is been involved in heavy money transaction in bank would attest that this particular regulation has been in existence for years. Your picture would be taken, information about you and the transaction would be sent to NFIU which was an arm of EFCC or so. It used to be N5m on individual, N10m on corporate organizations and foreign transfer above 10k USD per day.

Also, since the anti- money laundering law is an Act of National Assembly, it is expected that any violation thereof shall be prosecuted by the EFCC.

@omogidi. Thanks.
I saw your post. Highly commendable. However, I created this topic earlier before I saw ur writeup.

I was even at a Skye Bank branch in Lagos today just to make inquiry on the SCUML. I was told that on bank account opening, they (Skye Bank) can assist in getting the required registration at SCUML; or I may get it myself at the EFCC office if I decide to.

Chibenze: I want to go into online biz like selling of domain, serving ad on my blog etc, do i need to register in cca, if yes why?
Also what are the requrement to do dat

Although not all people who do business in Nigeria register their business names or a company at the CAC. BUT, if you really want to do business that transcend beyond just a petty trader, you may just have to register a business name, at least.

There are advantages of registering your business at the CAC.
1. Image. You are seen as a serious business owner who wants things done professionally.
2. Corporate Entity. You are seen as a Company, not an individual. You cant lay claim to a name you have not registered.
3. Legality. Only registered business/company names are recognised under the laws of the federal republic of nigeria to do business in Nigeria.
4. Registered companies can open a corporate bank account with their registration certificates.
5. Payments. Registered companies can receive payments (cheques) in their company names. Some customers/clients may not want to pay you in your own name, especially payments in the high range.

I can continue to list these on and on...

The requirement for registration will depend on the business structure you are looking at registering - Business Name (enterprise) or Private Limited Company.

enyhss: Hello,

I intend to venture into Haulage business pretty soon. I will be transporting products for manufacturing companies & I was wondering what form of business / company registration do I need.

Kindly advise.

Thank you.

The choice in what type of business structure to choose is an easy one, but some salient factors must be considered. These factors include:
1. The nature of business and statutory requirement by CAC and trade associations.
2. The number of people involved in the proposed company formation
3. Availability of money to pursue the registration. LTD registrations are more expensive compared to Business Name.
4. Tax issues. You need to get expert advice on this.
5. Ownership and control issues.

I will take time to write extensively on these. You can put a call through should you need more information. (pls, check my signature or profile for contact details)

Some few weeks ago, April 1 to be precise, a Nairaland member pointed to the fact that GTB requested a customer to produce a documentation from EFCC as part of their bank account opening requirements.

"Is it true that your registered company cannot have a corporate bank account with banks (e.g GTbank) without collecting another document/registration called 'scum' from EFCC?", he asked.

Ignorantly, I said that was untrue as I have never heard of such as ever been part of any bank's account opening requirement. But he persisted and said:

"I signed a GTBank reference form for a colleague yesterday in which he showed me the things they (GTB) wrote that he must get. Apart from those requirements you mentioned, that other item was listed as part of the requirements and the writing was not clear to me. It looked like 'scumi' but it was to be obtained from EFCC. So he was asking me where EFCC office is located in the Island."

Confused about this, I sent an email to GTB's online care assistance. Hours later, I got a feedback from GTB; and it reads in part:

"Dear Esteemed Customer,
Thank you for your patronage.
You do not have to get any clarification from EFCC before you can have an account with us."

This email was reassuring enough as I needed no other confirmation since the email emanated from GTB.

But was dead wrong! After 3 weeks, I can confirm to you that "Registration With SCUML Now Mandatory For Banking Transaction By DNFIs".

I know the question on your lips right now would be, "what is SCUML and DNFIs?"
For your information, SCUML is an accronym for Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering. And DNFIs means "Designated Non-Financial Institutions (hotels, real estate firms, auto dealers, audit and accounting firms, casinos, supermarkets, bureau de change, law firms, etc).

I think this is one requirement too many for business owners, especially small businesses who contend with the already high cost of doing business, and several government hurdles such as this one. Or which one is "SCUMbag" again o?

Read more details as seen in the news--}

THISDAY NEWSPAPER: "Money Laundering: EFCC Arrests 10 over Non-Compliance"

THE NIGERIAN VOICE: "Registration With SCUML Now Mandatory For Banking Transaction By DNFIs"

NB: I would have posted links here for reference, but for the antispam bot that bans everytime I post a link here.

FrontPageLawyer:

Yes it is called SCUML, you can also google it. The form is included in the corporate account opening form.

God bless you for this info.

boazic: please where can one register a business name in Lagos and how much does it cost?
Thanks.
You could send details to saylaa@gmail.com

An email has been sent to you.
Thanks.

Here's a Testimonial we just received from a satisfied client our company registered "GOJES-JESGO ENTERPRISES" for. He lives on the Bonny Island, Rivers State:

"Words cannot be used to show my gratitude. I always know that we have good people in Nigeria. I will always do business with you. Am grateful."

Mr Allinson Godswill. (08055932674)

Though we are based in Lagos (4 Thomas Salako Street, Ogba), we accept registration jobs from clients who reside anywhere in Nigeria and overseas.

We have courier logistics that helps us meet clients biz registration needs within and outside Lagos.

Question: How long does it take to confirm if a name submitted for search at the Corporate Affairs Commission is available or not?

Answer: Recently at the CAC, biz name search gets ready in 24 to 48 hours. However, due to unforseen situations, it could take 72 hours.

At no initial payment by you, your proposed company names will be presented at the CAC for a search. However, we will give you a call to confirm your readiness to register such presented biz names as soon as approval is secured. Names search will take up to 48 hours.

Keep your entries coming in by text.

@OP. If you must engage in business activities other than agro-related businesses, you must apply for a change of business objects in your incorporation documents. The procedures are quite different from country to country.

i.:
A step further from what Loudmedia said: If you register a company in Zambia, you cannot use that same company to do business in Nigeria except you re-register it in Nigeria! Also at what the OP asked: Your company is limited by its objects Clause in the Memo.

You are very correct. If the company was incorporated in Zambia, then you must incorporate a Nigerian subsidiary if you must come to Nigeria to do business in the real sense of it.

Have you tried GTB? With their new GT Social platform, I learnt one can create an account via Facebook or Twitter. You may have to verify this though.

On the flip side, if you are interested in company registration in Nigeria, even while you are abroad, our company can handle that for you.

The free company name search is still on. Keep your text messages coming. You'll receive a call from us to confirm your entry.
Only serious people, please.

MyJwell:

pls how i go about getting my company registered as a LTD coy with $120?

Sincere apologies, MyJwell. I had to look at my post again when I saw your reply. Suprisenly, I had ommited the word "not". So I just had to edit it.

I meant to say, "you cannot register a LTD company for $120 here in Nigeria".

My company engages in company formation and registration support services, so I am talking from what I know.

We engage also in UK company registration for Nigerian entrepreneurs looking at entering the UK market; or just having a UK business presence + UK bank account opening recommendation.

Your UK business name could be something like this:
Nairaland UK Limited (of course, with a registered company address in the UK).

mutazo:
Thanks for the complement, It cost me about $120 to register my Company. I registered it from Zambia.

Did you mean you registered it in Nigeria (as a Nigerian company) while you were in Zambia; or it's a company incorporated in Zambia?

Reason is because you cannot incorporate your LTD company here in Nigeria for $120.

For those who need to visit our website, please just check our Nairaland profile for details, or log in to Nairaland to see details at the Signature section below this post.

For those who sent in their company names for search at the CAC, text messages have been sent to you to confirm if your biz names are available or not.

You can still send your proposed company names. But we welcome only SERIOUS-MINDED people.

We will give you a call once we receive your entry to ascertain your request and possible registration.