The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is preparing to roll out an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to deal with a backlog of 7,000 company registration requests. The move, according to Registrar-General Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, is designed to speed up approvals and improve customer support for entrepreneurs struggling with delays on the Commission’s new digital portal.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Kano, Magaji explained that the AI tool will manage requests across compliance, registry and customer service. This is expected to reduce bottlenecks that have slowed the Commission since the launch of its AI-powered portal earlier this year.
The CAC has faced heavy criticism from business owners who report problems such as payment failures, unprocessed applications and documents that could not be uploaded. These glitches contributed to the current pileup of pending registrations. Magaji admitted the transition to the new system has been bumpy but said the Commission has identified problems and is working on solutions.
One area where the AI tool is expected to make an immediate difference is in customer inquiries. The Commission currently receives about 3,000 emails daily. The upcoming system has been designed to read and understand those messages in less than a minute, eliminate duplicate requests and forward them to the right departments. According to Magaji, this will free staff to focus on tasks that require human input.
The CAC first introduced its AI-driven registration platform in June as part of a broader effort to simplify business incorporation in Nigeria. The updated system was programmed to provide instant name approvals, including alternative suggestions when preferred names were already taken. At the time of launch, officials described the reform as a major leap in automation.
Despite setbacks, the Commission reported that the portal was already processing more than 11,000 transactions per day by July. However, the growing backlog shows that more improvements are needed to deliver consistent service to users.
For entrepreneurs, the rollout of the AI agent could mark an important turning point. Faster approvals mean quicker access to official documentation required for banking, taxation and contracts. If the Commission delivers on its promise, the reform may help Nigeria improve its ease of doing business ranking and give startups a smoother path to formalization.
The next few months will be critical for the CAC as it tests and deploys the new AI system. Entrepreneurs and investors across the country will be watching closely to see if technology can finally reduce long-standing delays in business registration.
