The Federal Government has opened applications for 250,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to benefit from free business registration under a joint initiative of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the Corporate Affairs Commission.
The programme, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is intended to help nano, micro and small businesses formalise their operations at no cost by waiving CAC business name registration fees.
The Presidency unveiled the initiative during the 8th National MSME Awards held at the State House, Abuja, on June 27.
Apart from free business registration, successful applicants will also benefit from entrepreneurship training, business advisory services and other support designed to improve the growth and sustainability of their enterprises.
Application process
To apply, intending beneficiaries should:
Log on to the SMEDAN registration portal at portal.smedan.gov.ng.
Register an account using their name, email address, phone number and a password.
Complete the MSME registration form with the required business details.
Choose “No” when asked whether the business already has a CAC registration number.
Confirm that all information provided is correct before submitting the application.
Await feedback from SMEDAN on the outcome of the application.
The government noted that businesses already captured in the SMEDAN database but yet to obtain CAC registration may also be eligible for the scheme.
Successful applicants will receive further instructions on completing their free Business Name registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
The initiative stems from an agreement between SMEDAN and the CAC to formalise 250,000 nano, micro and small businesses across the country.
The Federal Government said the programme is aimed at removing registration costs for small businesses, encouraging more entrepreneurs to join the formal sector and improving their access to financial and regulatory opportunities.
