The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) have launched a nationwide scheme to provide free business name registration for 250,000 nano, micro, and small enterprises.
The agreement, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding in Abuja, aims to remove long-standing barriers such as cost, bureaucracy, and lack of awareness that keep millions of entrepreneurs in the informal sector.
SMEDAN's Director General, Charles Odii, said the initiative will not only cover registration costs but also connect beneficiaries to the agency's MSME database, giving them access to grants, capacity-building programmes, and market opportunities.
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CAC Registrar-General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, added that the commission is waiving about N3 billion in registration fees to promote formalization and help entrepreneurs gain legitimacy and growth opportunities.
Both agencies praised President Bola Tinubu for backing MSME growth under the Renewed Hope agenda, noting that the drive is a bold step toward empowering small businesses across Nigeria.
