The Corporate Affairs Commission on Monday in Abuja launched a 24-hour online registration platform to fast track its business services to its customers.
Dr. Olusegun Aganga, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said the new online registration portal was developed by CAC to make registration of business easy and accessible to its clients.
“Nigerians will no longer have to incur extra costs and will not travel to the CAC’s office to register their businesses,” Aganga said.
He said it was a joint initiative with the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology under Government Service Portal initiative.
He explained that the portal was robust enough to accommodate all platforms such as inter-switch, e-transaction and visa card.
Others include Verve card, American express and other forms of electronic payments.
Aganga explained that any person that wants to register his business would now do so easily in any part of the world without physically going to CAC.
He listed easy access to payment of the commission’s services, reduction in cost for the accredited agents and ordinary persons as many benefits of the new online portal.
Aganga said that the Federal Government was committed to deploying more positive initiatives towards a friendly business environment climate in the country.
He demonstrated the use of the portal, which took him only 15 minutes to register his business name, adding that the online registration would reduce the cost of doing business in Nigeria.
Aganga said that the registration was in line with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan to fast track the development of the nation’s economy.
Earlier, Dr. Omobola Johnson, the Minister of Communication Technology, said the online registration would enable users to make payment services from the comfort of their homes.
Johnson said that the portal would assist in revenue general for the commission as well block all financial leakages.
She said that the portal was developed with local content in ICT initiative and was done to increase the participation of Nigerian companies in the ICT sector.
Johnson said that the portal was designed by a team of Nigerian software developers and engineers from OasisSeamfix.
She explained that the company had met international benchmarks and best practices stipulated by DFID sponsored consultant.
Bello Mahmud, the Registrar General of CAC, said that the new portal would save a lot time in doing business with the commission, adding that the public, other than accredited agents, would carry out transaction directly with CAC.
Mahmud noted that the Federal Government recently approved the reduction of 50 per cent in the filing fees for new business registration in the country.
Mahmud expressed appreciation to the World Bank, and DFID for their assistance in establishing the online portal.
He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Communication Technology for contributing over 60 per in funding the portal.
