SMEDAN and CAC Partner to Provide Free Business Registration for 250,000 Nigerian MSMEs

September 30, 2025 BusinessTrumpet

In a landmark move to empower entrepreneurs across Nigeria, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has teamed up with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to launch a free business registration initiative for 250,000 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing the partnership was signed at the CAC headquarters in Abuja, with media representatives, senior officials, and the heads of both agencies in attendance — Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, Registrar-General of the CAC, and Charles Odii, Director-General of SMEDAN.

Ordinarily, business registration with the CAC costs around ₦11,000, but this program removes that financial barrier, opening the door for thousands of entrepreneurs nationwide to register their businesses at no cost.

According to both agencies, the initiative directly supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes dismantling obstacles to entrepreneurship, driving innovation, and creating jobs across Nigeria.

For small businesses, the benefits extend far beyond free registration. Formalization offers credibility, access to government support programs, and better opportunities to scale in both domestic and international markets.

By partnering with the CAC, SMEDAN is reinforcing its commitment to building an enabling ecosystem for small businesses and laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth.

How to get the SMEDAN Free Business registration for MSMES

To benefit from the free business registration from SMEDAN and CAC, you have to visit the Smedan website at portal.smedan.gov.ng and register to list your business in the CAC database. According to statement from SMEDAN, every business on their database without a CAC registration will be offered the free registration
If you are able to go online and register the SMEDAN portal, go to the SMEDAN office in your state to get onboarded pr attend a SMEDAN event, such at their business clinics where SMEDAN officers will be on hand to onboard you.
Once you get onboarded onto the portal, SMEDAN will contact you for the next steps.