The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has launched a new enforcement action aimed at delisting 100,000 companies from its register for persistent non-compliance with statutory requirements under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the Commission announced the commencement of the fifth batch of its deregistration process, targeting businesses that have failed to file annual returns and disclose beneficial ownership details for a continuous period of ten years.
According to the CAC, these affected companies are presumed inactive or no longer in operation. “The Commission has compiled, for striking off, a list of 100,000 companies which it has reasonable cause to believe are not carrying on business or have not been in operation for 10 years or have not complied with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act for a consecutive period of 10 years,” the statement read.
The Commission noted that the list of companies slated for delisting has been published on its official website, and urged affected entities to urgently verify their status and take remedial steps.
Defaulting companies have been given a 90-day window to regularize their filings, including submission of annual returns and disclosures of Persons with Significant Control (PSC), or risk being struck off the register. Affected companies are also required to send activation requests via email to: [email protected] (where applicable).
The CAC further warned that any company removed from the register would cease to exist as a legal entity and would be prohibited from conducting business unless restored by a Federal High Court order. “It shall be unlawful for any company struck off the Register of Companies to carry on business unless it is first restored,” the notice emphasized.
This enforcement drive, carried out pursuant to Section 692 (3) and (4) of CAMA 2020, is part of the Commission’s broader effort to sanitize the corporate ecosystem and ensure that only active, transparent, and compliant businesses operate within Nigeria’s formal economy.
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