The Federal Government has opened applications for the free registration of 250,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) under a formalisation programme being implemented by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The initiative, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is designed to eliminate the financial barrier associated with business registration, allowing more nano, micro and small enterprises to join Nigeria’s formal economy.
Under the programme, the Federal Government will fully cover the statutory cost of Business Name registration for successful applicants.
The scheme was unveiled during the 8th National MSME Awards held at the State House, Abuja, where the Presidency said the programme would strengthen financial inclusion and improve access to government support for small businesses.
Interested business owners are required to register on the SMEDAN portal, create an account, complete their MSME profile, indicate that their business has not yet been registered with the CAC, and submit their application for consideration.
Businesses already captured in the SMEDAN database but without CAC registration may also qualify automatically for the initiative.
Successful applicants will be contacted with further instructions for completing their free Business Name registration.
The programme follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between SMEDAN and the CAC to formalize 250,000 businesses nationwide.
Beyond registration, beneficiaries will receive technical training, business development support and access to programmes aimed at improving business sustainability and long-term growth.