Nothing slows down a CAC application faster than getting to the upload screen and realising you don't have a document ready, or your ID doesn't match the name you typed in. The good news is that the actual CAC registration requirements are short — you just need the right things gathered before you sit down, in the right format. This guide walks through exactly what you need for a Business Name and for a Private Limited Company in Nigeria in 2026, in plain terms, so your application sails through instead of bouncing back with a query.
Subpadi has been helping Nigerians sort the paperwork side of business since 2013. Here's the checklist we wish every first-timer had in front of them.
The basics everyone needs
Whichever structure you're registering, CAC needs a few core things from every proprietor, director, or shareholder involved:
Your National Identification Number (NIN) is now treated as the primary source of truth for your identity on the CAC system, so have it ready. Alongside it, you'll need a valid, government-issued ID — your international passport, driver's licence, voter's card (PVC), or National ID card — with a clear digital scan. This matters more than people expect: the name on your CAC application must match the name on your ID exactly, down to spelling and order, or your registration can be queried or rejected.
You'll also need a recent passport photograph with a plain, light background — no shadows, no glare, no cropped edges — for every proprietor, director, or shareholder. Have your residential address, phone number, and email ready too, since these go on the application for every individual involved.
Finally, prepare a short, honest description of what your business actually does — CAC calls this your "nature of business" — and two proposed business names, a first choice and a backup, in case your top pick is already taken or too similar to an existing name. If you haven't checked availability yet, our guide on checking CAC name availability walks through that first.
Extra requirements for a Business Name
For a Business Name (sole proprietorship or partnership), the list above is essentially everything you need. There's no separate legal entity being created, so there's no memorandum, no shareholding structure, and no additional signatures beyond your own. If it's a partnership, each partner needs to provide their own ID, NIN, passport photo, and personal details, but the paperwork stays lean. This is a big part of why Business Name registration is so quick — see our full walkthrough on registering a business name online for the step-by-step.
Extra requirements for a Limited Company
A Private Limited Company needs everything above, plus a few extra pieces because you're creating a separate legal entity rather than just registering yourself.
You'll need a Memorandum and Articles of Association (MEMART) — this is the document that spells out how your company is governed, its objectives, and the rules its directors and shareholders operate under. Don't panic about drafting this from scratch: the CAC portal generates a standard MEMART template for you to review and sign, which covers the needs of most small and medium businesses.
You'll also need full details for every director and every shareholder (they can be the same people, or different — a single person can legally be both the sole director and sole shareholder), including how the shares are split between them if there's more than one shareholder. Each director needs a digital scan of their signature on plain white paper, since this gets attached to the MEMART and other statutory forms.
If any shareholder or director is a company rather than an individual (for example, another registered business is investing in yours), you'll need that company's own certificate of incorporation and registration details as part of the filing. This is a less common scenario for small businesses, but worth knowing about early if it applies to you. See our comparison of Business Name vs Limited Company if you're still deciding which structure needs these extra documents in the first place.
File format matters more than people think
A surprising number of CAC delays come down to simple formatting mistakes rather than missing documents. Passport photos and signature scans generally need to be clear image files (JPEG or PNG), not PDFs, and kept under about 2MB each. Blurry scans, visible watermarks, cropped edges, or a photo taken at an angle can all trigger a rejection or a query that sends you back to the start of that step. It's worth taking five extra minutes to get a clean, well-lit scan the first time rather than resubmitting three times.
A quick pre-registration checklist
Before you open the CAC portal, make sure you have: your NIN and a valid ID for every person involved, a recent passport photo for each person, two proposed business names, your business and residential addresses, a short description of what the business does, and — if you're registering a company — a plan for how shares are split among shareholders and a signature scan for each director. Gather all of this first, and the actual online registration itself usually takes far less time than the paperwork prep.
If you'd rather not chase your own documents
Some people are simply too busy to double-check ID formats and chase co-founders for signature scans. If that's you, an accredited agent or service can collect everything, format it correctly, and file on your behalf — it costs a bit more than doing it yourself, but it removes the back-and-forth. That's exactly the kind of thing Subpadi's CAC registration service is built for, if you'd rather hand it off entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Is NIN compulsory for CAC registration in 2026? Yes, in practice. NIN is treated as the primary identity check on the CAC system, and it's strongly recommended you have it ready alongside a valid government-issued ID before you start.
Does the name on my ID need to match my CAC application exactly? Yes. Any mismatch between the name on your ID and the name you enter on your CAC application can trigger a query or rejection, so double-check spelling and order before submitting.
Do I need a lawyer to prepare the MEMART for a Limited Company? No, not usually. The CAC portal generates a standard MEMART template that covers most small and medium businesses. You can involve a lawyer for a more customised MEMART, but it isn't required for a typical small company.
What documents does a partnership need compared to a sole proprietorship? Both need the same core documents — NIN, valid ID, and passport photo — but a partnership needs this set of documents from every partner involved, not just one person.
Can I use a photo taken on my phone for CAC registration? Yes, as long as it's clear, well-lit, on a plain background, and saved as a JPEG or PNG under the file size limit. Avoid shadows, glare, or cropped edges, since poor-quality images are a common cause of delays.
Document requirements can be updated by CAC without much notice; always confirm the current checklist on the official CAC portal before you begin your application.