CAC Striking Off: How to Check If Your Business Name/Company Is Blacklisted and How to Avoid the Status

By Alexander Odidi, Esq. A


Do you have a registered company or business name with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) operating for some years and you haven't touched the paperwork for a while? You need to read this article. 

This year, the CAC ramped up enforcement, and hundreds of thousands of Nigerian businesses have already been struck off the register for non-compliance.

What Does "Struck Off" Actually Mean?

When the CAC strikes off your company or business name, it removes your entity from the official register of active businesses in Nigeria. Your business essentially disappears from the government's books, even if you're still physically operating. 

Striking off a company is the corporate equivalent of being Blacklisted. The business entity technically still exists in the real world, but the law no longer recognizes it.

The consequences are serious. A struck-off company loses many of its characteristics, including its legal personality, meaning it can no longer sue or be sued in its own name. Contracts, bank accounts, and agreements signed under that name are also affected and can become unenforceable. 

Directors and shareholders may even be held personally liable for business dealings carried out after the strike-off. Banks and other corporate bodies routinely check CAC status before approving loans, releasing funds, or opening corporate accounts. This means that a struck-off status can quietly freeze your finances.

Why the CAC Strikes Off Companies

The CAC's power and backing to strike off entities comes from Section 692(3) and (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020. This law allows the Commission to remove any company it has reasonable cause to believe is no longer carrying on business or has gone dormant.

The most common trigger, by far, is failure to file annual returns. Every registered company and business name in Nigeria is legally required to file annual returns with the CAC. Doing so confirms the company is still active. 

Limited companies must file within 42 days of each incorporation anniversary, while business names must file annually before June 30. When you skip these dates and formalities for long enough (historically around ten years for the recent mass exercises), your name lands on a strike-off list.

Other red flags include an outdated or unreachable registered office address, incomplete post-incorporation filings (like changes in directors or shareholders), and, rarely, fraudulent registration.

The 2026 Mass Strike-Off Exercise

This isn't a small, quiet process anymore. In July 2026, the CAC issued a public notice announcing its intention to strike off around 100,000 companies as part of what's now known as Batch 6 of its ongoing register-cleansing exercise. This follows an earlier 2024 round that saw over 80,000 companies delisted after a decade of unfiled annual returns.

The CAC, showing some leniency, gave affected businesses a 90-day grace period from the date of the notice to regularize their records. Any company that doesn't act within that window gets struck off without further notice. 

The CAC further strengthened its data-sharing with agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), making it easier to flag inactive or non-compliant entities.

How to Check If Your Business Is on the Strike-Off List

Don't wait to find out the hard way or at crucial moments like at a bank counter or during a contract bid. Here's how to check your status:

  • Visit the CAC Public Search Portal at search.cac.gov.ng. This free tool lets you look up any registered business by name or RC/BN number.

  • Check the "Status" field on your company's record. If it reads "Active," you're fine. If it shows "Inactive" or "Struck Off," you need to act immediately. 

  • Review the official strike-off notices published on cac.gov.ng under the Commission's public notices section, where batch lists are periodically released as downloadable documents.

  • Request a CAC Status Report through your dashboard on the CAC portal (or via a search fee if you're a third party) for a fuller compliance history, including your annual returns filing record.

Make checking your company's status a habit rather than a one-time event. A quarterly search takes a few minutes and can save you from potential expenses later.

Ways to Avoid Being Struck Off

  • File your annual returns on time, every year. This is the single most effective way to stay off the list.

  • Keep your registered office address current so you actually receive any compliance notices the CAC sends out. 

  • Update director and shareholder changes promptly through the appropriate post-incorporation filings.

  • File a Notice of Dormancy if your business genuinely isn't trading right now, rather than letting it go silent and risk automatic strike-off.

  • Check your status every few months using the public search portal described above.

What to Do If You've Already Been Struck Off

There is still hope for a struck-off company or business. If you catch your name on a strike-off notice before the grace period expires, file all outstanding annual returns and send a formal request to activation@cac.gov.ng to have your name removed from the list.

If your company has already been struck off, restoration typically requires a formal application, and in many cases, an order from the Federal High Court, to have the name relisted on the register. This process can be time-consuming and costly, which is exactly why staying compliant in the first place is the smarter, cheaper path.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. How do I know if my business has been struck off by CAC?

Search your company name or RC/BN number at search.cac.gov.ng. If the status reads "Inactive" or "Struck Off" instead of "Active," your business has been affected.

  1. Can a struck-off company still operate legally?

No. Once struck off, the company loses its legal personality. It cannot sue, be sued, or legally sign contracts under that name until it is restored.

  1. Can a struck-off company be restored?

Yes, but it usually requires filing all outstanding returns and, in many cases, a formal application or Federal High Court order to get the name relisted.




Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. CAC policies, deadlines, and enforcement exercises (such as the 2026 Batch 6 strike-off) can change without notice. Always verify your company's current status directly at search.cac.gov.ng or consult a qualified corporate lawyer or accredited CAC agent before taking action based on this information.

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