The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced plans to delist 100,000 companies from its register over prolonged inactivity and non-compliance with statutory requirements under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

According to a public notice issued by the Commission, the affected companies have been identified as either not carrying on business, inactive for at least 10 years, or failing to meet regulatory obligations, particularly the annual filing of returns and disclosure of Persons with Significant Control (PSC).

The CAC has given a 90-day window from the date of publication for these companies to regularise their status.

What the companies are expected to do 

To avoid being struck off, affected companies must promptly file all outstanding annual returns and send activation emails to activation@cac.gov.ng where applicable.

“It shall be unlawful for any company struck off the Register of Companies to continue carrying on business unless it is restored by an order of the Federal High Court,” the notice emphasized.

• This move forms part of the Commission’s broader effort to sanitise Nigeria’s corporate registry and ensure that only active and compliant entities remain in the system.
• It also aligns with ongoing efforts to enhance transparency in company ownership and governance in line with anti-money laundering standards.
• The list of the 100,000 companies scheduled for delisting can be found here.

Previous actions 

After issuing a similar notice in July last year, the Commission delisted several companies in November 2024.

The CAC emphasized that it invoked its powers under Section 692 (4) of CAMA 2020 to strike off companies that failed or refused to update their annual returns within the stipulated time frame.

The delisted companies were deemed dissolved, effective from the date of publication.

“The General public may recall that the Commission issued a Notice of Intention to strike off the names of Companies which the Commission has reasonable cause to believe are not carrying out business or are otherwise dormant because of not filing Annual Returns for 10 years. Statutory Period of 90 days was given to such companies to file the requisite Annual Returns and send activation email to activation@cac.gov.ng,” the Commission stated at the time.

“Companies stricken off the register are deemed to have been dissolved from the date of publication. It is illegal to enter into any transaction or deal with a company that has been dissolved,” the statement added.

What you should know 

Annual returns is a mandatory yearly report registered companies file with CAC, showing that a company is still active.

For companies, it is filed within 42 days after each anniversary of incorporation, and for Business Names, it is filed every year before June 30.

There is a Penalty for late filing, which is a sum plus the actual annual return fees and the risk of strike-off.