The Corporate Affairs Commission has warned the public about 15 unregistered company names and registration numbers being used in business transactions across Nigeria.
According to the CAC, in a public notice on X, the public must exercise the highest level of caution when dealing with individuals or organisations using the listed names.
The Commission issued the alert to protect investors, businesses, and the public from fraudulent activities after discovering that the entities were operating with details not found in its records.
The Commission listed the following fifteen entities as NOT registered in its official database:
The CAC notice signals rising concerns around fraudulent schemes disguised as registered companies. Such entities often use forged RC numbers, misleading invoices, and fake documents to win trust.
The Commission urged Nigerians and businesses to verify all entity details before committing to any transaction by:
The CAC publishes periodic compliance alerts, but noted that this particular notice responds to increasing public complaints about suspicious business operations.
In August, the Corporate Affairs Commission exposed 247 companies operating with false RC numbers. The affected entities were never legally registered, and their RC numbers have been removed from the official database.
The Commission warned that any dealings with such organisations would not be protected under the law, since they do not have legitimate corporate status and urged the public to confirm registration before doing business.
Earlier this year, CAC began a new round of delisting companies that failed to comply with the requirements of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020.
The Commission published the names of affected companies on its website, warning that those failing to file annual returns or update records of Persons with Significant Control and beneficial ownership within 90 days would be struck off the register. Companies removed from the register lose their corporate status and associated legal rights.
In June, the CAC also launched an AI-driven registration portal aimed at transforming the business environment by simplifying company registration processes and accelerating approvals. While the system provides instant name approvals and alternative suggestions, users experienced glitches such as payment issues and document submission delays, leading to a backlog of 7,000 applications.
To address these challenges, the Commission is deploying an AI agent to manage compliance, registry, and customer service requests more efficiently, including handling high volumes of daily inquiries.