You've got the perfect name for your business. Before you print it on a signboard, put it on jollof rice packs, or tell your friends, there's one thing worth doing first: a CAC name search. This simply means checking whether your chosen name is already taken, too similar to an existing registered business, or contains a word CAC won't allow — before you spend money reserving it and building a brand around it. This guide walks through exactly how to do it in 2026, in plain language, so you don't waste a name reservation on something that was never going to be approved.

Subpadi has helped Nigerians handle this side of business since 2013, so let's get your name checked properly.

Why a name search matters before you register anything

The Corporate Affairs Commission won't approve a business name that's identical, or even confusingly close, to one that's already registered. It's easy to assume your name is unique because you've never seen another business use it — but Nigeria has millions of registered businesses, and common word combinations get taken faster than you'd think. Doing a CAC name search first saves you two headaches: paying for a name reservation that gets rejected, and building any branding, signage, or website around a name you'll later have to change.

It's also worth checking early because a rejected name reservation still costs you the reservation fee and, more importantly, time — CAC's response can take a day or more, and if it comes back rejected you're back to square one with your second-choice name. Do the search first, and you walk into the actual reservation step with real confidence.

Step-by-step: how to search a business name

Step 1 — Go to the CAC public search tool. CAC provides a public search facility through its official Companies Registration Portal (the CRP/iCRP system) where anyone can look up existing registered names. This is separate from the pre-registration portal you'll use later to actually reserve and register your name.

Step 2 — Type in your proposed name. Search using your exact intended name first. If it returns an identical or near-identical match, that name is off the table — CAC doesn't just block exact duplicates, it also blocks names it considers "too similar," which includes names that only differ by punctuation, spacing, or a generic word like "Limited," "Nigeria," or "Global."

Step 3 — Try variations and your backup name. Search a few close variations of your idea, and separately search your backup name. This gives you a realistic sense of which options are genuinely free before you commit to a reservation.

Step 4 — Check for restricted or prohibited words. Even if a name comes back with no exact match, CAC restricts certain words and phrases. Names suggesting government affiliation or patronage (words like "National," "Federal," "Government") are generally prohibited outright for private businesses. Words like "Chamber of Commerce," "Group," "Holding," "Foundation," "Association," or "Trust" are restricted, meaning you can use them but only with special approval or additional documentation — so it's best to avoid them unless you specifically need that structure.

Step 5 — Move to formal reservation once you're confident. Once your search shows your name (and backup) are clear of exact or close matches, you proceed to the actual registration portal to formally reserve the name, which is the first real step in either registering a business name or registering a company with CAC. A public search only tells you what's likely available; the formal reservation is what actually locks the name in for you, typically for a limited window, so don't sit on it too long once it's approved.

Note that the CAC public search portal, like most government systems, occasionally goes down for maintenance. If it's temporarily unavailable when you try, that doesn't mean your name is unavailable — it just means you'll need to check back or proceed to the formal reservation step, where CAC will tell you definitively if there's a conflict.

Tips for picking a name that clears CAC easily

A little strategy at the naming stage saves a lot of back-and-forth later. Adding a distinguishing word — a location, a niche descriptor, or a personal touch — makes a generic idea far more likely to be unique; "Green Logistics" is far more likely to be taken than "Lagos Green Logistics Services." Always prepare two genuinely different name options rather than two versions of the same idea, so you have a real fallback if your first choice is rejected. And while it's not a CAC requirement, it's worth quickly checking whether the matching .com or .com.ng domain is available too — there's little point locking in a business name only to discover the obvious website address is already taken by someone else.

What happens after your name is approved

Once your name search checks out and your formal reservation is approved, CAC holds that name for you for a set window while you complete the rest of your registration — so don't dawdle once you're through this step. From there, the process folds into the standard registration flow: filling in your business or company details, uploading your documents, paying the registration fee, and downloading your certificate once approved. If you'd rather have someone confirm your name is genuinely clear and handle the reservation and full filing for you, Subpadi's CAC registration service can take that off your plate.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CAC name search free? Checking a name's availability through the public search tool is generally free; a fee applies at the formal reservation step once you actually lock the name in through the registration portal.

How similar can a name be to an existing business before it's rejected? CAC rejects not just exact duplicates but names it considers confusingly similar — differences that are only cosmetic, like punctuation, spacing, or adding a generic word such as "Limited" or "Nigeria," usually aren't enough to make a name distinct.

How long is a business name reserved once approved? Once your name reservation is approved, CAC holds it for you for a set period, so you should proceed with the rest of your registration promptly rather than letting the reservation lapse.

Can two businesses in different states use the same name? No. CAC registration is national, not state-based, so a name that's already registered anywhere in Nigeria is generally unavailable to you regardless of which state you're registering in.

What if my first-choice name is rejected? This is exactly why you prepare a genuinely different backup name upfront — if your first choice is rejected as taken or too similar, your application moves to the backup instead of stalling the whole process.

The CAC public search portal can go offline for maintenance from time to time; if that happens, check back or proceed to the formal reservation step on the official portal for a definitive answer.