The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria will tomorrow host a special edition of its Business Clinic, featuring the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, in a critical engagement aimed at demystifying the ongoing free business name registration initiative for Nigerian entrepreneurs.
This interactive session comes at a pivotal time, as thousands of micro and small business owners continue to seek clarity on how to formalise their operations without financial barriers. The initiative, which targets 250,000 MSMEs nationwide, is designed to reduce informality and eliminate one of the major hurdles faced by small businesses—costly and complex registration processes.
By bringing the CAC leadership into direct conversation with entrepreneurs, SMEDAN aims to address real concerns surrounding documentation, eligibility, timelines, and access to post-registration support such as loans, grants, and market linkages. Many informal traders and startups have long operated outside formal systems, limiting their access to financial institutions, corporate partnerships, and government intervention programmes. Formal registration, once completed, opens doors to opportunities such as NIN-compliant bank accounts, procurement contracts, intellectual property protection, and business expansion.
Entrepreneurs can attend the clinic physically at SMEDAN’s headquarters in Garki, Abuja, or join virtually via Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/pga-obss-vkz
ensuring nationwide participation. The session will also highlight how formalisation enhances business credibility and prepares enterprises for both local and international supply chains.
Beyond registration, the Business Clinic will explore how SMEDAN’s broader programmes, such as capacity building, cluster support, and access to workspace, align with government efforts to strengthen small business resilience. The initiative reinforces SMEDAN’s commitment to building a more structured MSME ecosystem, where businesses are not only launched, but nurtured to grow, scale, and compete sustainably.
With rising interest among young entrepreneurs and digital startups, the Business Clinic is expected to encourage a new wave of formal business ownership, helping Nigerian MSMEs shift from survival mode to growth and wealth creation.
