"How much is CAC registration?" is one of the most searched questions from anyone about to register a business in Nigeria, and it's also one of the hardest to answer with a single number. Not because the answer is a secret, but because the honest answer is: it depends on what you're registering, and a flat figure quoted without knowing your structure is usually either wrong or incomplete.
Here's what actually goes into the total, so you know what you're really paying for before anyone sends you a quote.
Why there's no one price
CAC fees are set by government gazette and revised periodically, which is exactly why a number you saw somewhere online six months ago can already be stale. On top of that, the fee itself isn't flat across structures: a business name costs a fixed amount regardless of what the business does, while a limited company's registration fee scales with its share capital, meaning two companies can pay very different statutory fees depending entirely on how they've structured their capital, not on anything about their industry or size.
Anyone quoting you a single fixed price before knowing whether you're registering a business name, a limited company, or an incorporated trustee, and before knowing your proposed share capital if it's a company, is guessing. Get the structure confirmed first, then get the number.
The three cost components, structure by structure
Every CAC registration total is really three things stacked together: the statutory fee CAC charges, professional/service fees for whoever is preparing and filing it correctly, and incidental costs that vary by structure.
| Structure | Statutory fee driver | Typical extras to budget for |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | Flat government fee, same regardless of business type | Name reservation, TIN (automatic, no extra fee), stamp duty on some filings |
| Limited Company | Scales with share capital — higher authorised share capital means a higher statutory fee | Stamp duty on share capital, MEMART preparation, professional filing fee |
| Incorporated Trustees | Flat fee plus a mandatory newspaper publication of intent to incorporate | Publication cost (varies by paper), longer processing window |
The line people budget for least is stamp duty on a limited company's share capital. It's a real, separate cost tied to how much authorised share capital you set at incorporation, which is one more reason not to pick an arbitrary, unnecessarily high share capital figure "just to look serious" to banks or clients. It doesn't buy you anything functionally, and it raises what you pay in fees and stamp duty for no operational benefit.
What's genuinely free that people sometimes get charged for
Since the tax administration changes that took effect in January 2026, your CAC registration number doubles as your Tax Identification Number automatically — retrieving it is a free government service tied to your CAC record, not a separate paid registration. If anyone quotes you a standalone "TIN registration fee" for a business that's already CAC-registered, that's worth questioning before you pay it.
What drives the professional/service fee side
This is the part that varies most between providers, and it's also the part where the cheapest quote isn't automatically the best deal. A rock-bottom price with no guidance on structure, no document review before filing, and no support if the CAC kicks back a query usually costs more in the end, either in resubmission delays or in picking the wrong structure entirely and paying to convert it later.
The cheapest registration and the cheapest mistake are often the same quote. What you're really paying a professional for is not resubmitting.
What a properly scoped service fee should cover:
- Name availability search and reservation, including guidance on backup names likely to clear
- Structure advice specific to your situation, not a generic recommendation
- Document preparation and review before anything is filed, catching the errors that cause CAC queries and delays
- The actual filing and follow-through until your certificate is issued
- A clear breakdown of what's a government fee versus what's the service charge, so you're never guessing which part went where
Getting a number you can actually trust
The only way to get an accurate total is to have your structure and (for companies) proposed share capital confirmed first, then receive an itemized quote covering the statutory fee, any stamp duty, and the service charge, all before you pay anything. That's the only version of "how much does it cost" that means something, because it's built around your actual registration rather than a generic average.
Is business name registration always cheaper than a limited company?
Usually yes, since the statutory fee is flat rather than tied to share capital, and there's no stamp duty on share capital to budget for. But cheaper isn't automatically right for you — see our business name vs. limited company comparison if you're still deciding.
Does a higher share capital always mean a higher registration fee?
Generally yes, since the statutory fee and stamp duty for companies scale with authorised share capital. Set it based on what your business genuinely needs and what you plan to raise, not an arbitrary round number.
Are there any recurring costs after registration?
Yes — annual returns are a recurring filing obligation with their own fee and deadline, separate from your one-time registration cost. Missing them carries its own penalty, covered in our annual returns guide.
The short version
There's no honest flat answer to "how much does CAC registration cost" without first knowing your structure. What you can control is making sure whoever quotes you breaks the total into statutory fees, incidental costs like stamp duty, and their own service charge, upfront, rather than handing you one number and hoping you don't ask what it's made of. Awal Global Consults quotes exactly that way: structure confirmed first, then one itemized total with nothing hidden behind it.
Need help with this?
Awal Global Consults quotes every CAC registration as one itemized total upfront, government fees and service charge included, before you commit to anything.