CAC reaffirms transparency, warns against smear campaign
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The Corporate Affairs Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, reform, and efficient service delivery under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, amid what it described as growing acts of intimidation and false allegations targeting its Registrar-General, Hussaini Magaji.
The commission, in a strongly worded statement issued by its management on Thursday in Abuja, dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated attempts to distract its leadership from ongoing reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s business environment.
The statement read, “The attention of the Corporate Affairs Commission has been drawn to recent acts of intimidation and baseless allegations targeted at the Registrar-General.”
“Let it be clearly stated that the Registrar-General will not succumb to any form of blackmail, distraction or pressure in the discharge of his lawful responsibilities.”
The CAC urged individuals or groups with genuine evidence of wrongdoing against the Registrar-General to approach appropriate anti-corruption agencies, instead of resorting to smear campaigns and misinformation.
“Anyone with credible evidence of corruption or wrongdoing against him should forward such petitions to the relevant anti-corruption agencies for proper investigation and prosecution,” the statement added.
Reaffirming its stance on accountability and due process, the commission said it would not be deterred by attempts to malign its leadership, noting that its focus remained on advancing corporate reforms and strengthening Nigeria’s ease of doing business ranking.
“The Commission remains committed to transparency, reform, and quality service delivery to Nigerians under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” it said.
The CAC, which regulates company incorporation and business registration in Nigeria, has embarked on a major digital-transformation initiative by integrating artificial intelligence into its core registration processes. The drive is part of its broader mandate to improve transparency, reduce bureaucracy, and bolster the country’s “ease of doing business” credentials.
Since assuming office in 2023, Hussaini Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has championed sweeping reforms at the CAC, including full digitalisation of company registration processes and measures to tackle fraudulent filings.
However, the Artificial Intelligence-powered registration portal has come under fire from lawyers, business owners and company registration agents, who accuse the system of causing widespread disruptions and frustrating entrepreneurs.
Since the launch of the Intelligent Company Registration Portal in July 2025, the platform has faced mounting complaints ranging from payment failures to prolonged downtime.
Users say the system frequently goes offline, preventing the processing of name reservations, business registrations and post-incorporation filings for weeks at a stretch.
Despite the controversy, the CAC reiterated that it remains focused on its reform mandate, pledging not to relent in enforcing accountability and promoting investor confidence in Nigeria’s corporate sector.
