What our Nigeria company report includes
Our Nigeria reports are researched directly from sources including the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS, formerly the Federal Inland Revenue Service) records, court filings and, where relevant, sectoral regulators such as SON and NAFDAC; fees may apply for certain records. The information returned from any one source reflects what the company has filed and what is publicly accessible when the search is run. Our local agents can research the available records to establish trading status, addresses and the identities of principals.
Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) was renamed the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) under the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2025, effective 1 January 2026.
Identity & registration
- ✓ CAC Registration Number (RC number) and TIN
- ✓ Registered company name and trading names
- ✓ Legal form (Ltd, Plc, business name, incorporated trustees)
- ✓ Date of incorporation and registered office address
- ✓ Operating status and CAC annual return compliance
People & ownership
- ✓ Directors and company secretary
- ✓ Persons with Significant Control (PSC) register
- ✓ Shareholders and shareholding structure
- ✓ Authorised and issued share capital
- ✓ Holding company and corporate group (where disclosed)
Financial & trading
- ✓ Filed annual accounts (where available)
- ✓ Business activities and licensed objects (case-specific)
- ✓ Sector-specific licences (oil & gas, banking, telecom) (case-specific)
- ✓ Risk indicator and calculated credit limit
Risk & public records
- ✓ Court judgements and ongoing litigation
- ✓ Tax compliance and NRS (formerly FIRS) records (case-specific)
- ✓ Bank verification and payment behaviour (where available)
Note on Nigerian data: the Nigerian public register confirms a company exists, but not that it trades. Many CAC-registered entities are dormant, and address records are frequently out of date. Our agents can research the available records to identify operating premises and active business activity.
Why verify a Nigerian company?
Nigeria has the largest concentration of overseas business enquiries in sub-Saharan Africa, and also the highest concentration of fraudulent solicitations directed at foreign buyers and sellers. The pattern is well established: a plausible-looking company, an unsolicited large order or a too-good-to-be-true investment offer, a hurried timeline, and a request for advance payment to a Nigerian bank account. Verifying that the contracting entity exists, trades, and is genuinely connected to the people you have been corresponding with is the single most useful step you can take.
Beyond outright fraud, ordinary commercial verification is also more difficult than in many markets. The Corporate Affairs Commission register is comprehensive but does not confirm trading activity, and a substantial proportion of registered entities are dormant or have never operated. Names are also a recurring problem: multiple companies can share confusingly similar trading names, and a buyer may believe they are dealing with a well-known group when the contracting party is an unrelated namesake. The CAC number is the only reliable identifier.
Sectoral overlays matter too. Oil and gas, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals (NAFDAC) and standards-regulated imports (SON) all require additional licences beyond basic incorporation. A company contracting for activities outside its licensed scope is operating informally, and any commercial dispute is much harder to resolve through formal channels. Our reports can confirm the relevant sectoral standing where applicable.
For supplier qualification, large export sales, agency appointments, joint ventures or any prepayment, an investigated Nigeria report is the minimum standard. It is faster and far cheaper than discovering the problem after funds have moved.