If your company has been delisted from the CAC register of companies, you are not alone at all. There are so many other companies facing the same issues. If you are looking forward to the cost and procedure to relist a struck-off company back on the CAC database in Nigeria, this article is for you.
Statistics have it that in 2023, CAC delisted 91,000 dormant companies, with a final list published in December 2023
Again, in December 2024, the commission took to the public and published a list of 100,000 (one hundred thousand) struck-off companies from their database for non-compliance.
In July 2025, CAC published another list of 100,000 companies set to be delisted from the database for failure to comply with statutory obligations of annual returns.
What if I told you that registering your business and getting your CAC documents isn’t the end of the road, it is just the beginning. Without annual returns, your business could face this compliance risk, and it could get messy if things go south.
Understanding CAC Dormant Company Delisting in Nigeria
Under CAMA 2020 (The major source of company law in Nigeria), the Corporate Affairs Commision has the legal jurisdiction and powers to strike off a dormant company from its database for non-compliance.
A dormant company is practically a company that CAC believes is no longer carrying on business activities and has maintained INACTIVE status on the CAC portal for a period of time.
For every successful entity registered with CAC in Nigeria, let’s use the case of companies. The company will be listed and recorded in the CAC registry (books) with its RC number, Company name and date of registration.
Striking off or delisting a dormant company from the register means being whipped off by CAC for failure to comply with statutory requirements.
CAC Status Meanings
ACTIVE: ✅ This means the company is in full compliance with annual returns and other statutory obligations
INACTIVE: This means the company is in default of annual returns and may face legal action
STRUCK OFF: ❌ At this stage, the company has failed to file annual returns for a consecutive period above 10 years and has been finally struck off from the CAC data
Why the CAC Strikes Off Companies from the Register
A couple of months ago, a client reached out to us, explaining his displeasure at having found out that his company was delisted from CAC records for dormancy.
If you are reading this article, I believe you may share a similar story. Below are the reasons CAC may strike off a company
1. Failure to File Annual Returns
In Nigeria, every registered entity is supposed to file its annual returns to the commission yearly in order to stay in the books of CAC.
Annual returns itself is a way of marking presence in the books of CAC yearly and informing the commission that such a company is still ACTIVE and carrying on its stated business activities.
When companies become INACTIVE and dormant for a period of up to 10 years, it leaves it to CAC with no option to strike off such a company from the database with believing that the company is no longer in operation
Failure to file annual returns could be one of the core reasons a listed company will be delisted from the CAC database and lose all licensing
2. Dormant or Inactive Companies
A dormant company is simply a company that hasn’t filed annual returns for a long time and has not carried on any known business transaction for a prolonged period of time.
CAC expects companies not only to file annual returns but to submit evidence of filing and request that the status be reactivated.
From my 5 years of experience in consulting, a lot of companies make the mistake of filing annual returns on websites other than the CAC portal. Some go to Remita to pay annual returns fees, while some adopt bank transfers and physical office payments.
In most cases, a company may file its annual returns, but it will not reflect on the online portal, therefore confusing.
For easier verification and update, annual returns should only be paid on the CAC port incorporation portal under the dashboard of the company.
3. Non-Compliance with CAMA 2020
A company could also be struck off from the CAC portal if it fails to comply with other statutory requirements or engages in prohibitive, unethical and fraudulent business activities.
This further shows that annual returns are not the only yardstick for a company to be delisted.d
4. Voluntary Liquidation Not Completed Properly
A company may decide to request the Corporate Affairs Commission to delist itself through a process called voluntary winding up.
This happens when a company is insolvent and is liquidating as a result of the company losing out on its key personnel, loss of raw materials/suppliers, and no market for its goods/services. Therefore, it is satisfactory that such a company can no longer carry on business.
Sometimes, a court order from a higher court or any of the courts of coordinate jurisdiction can force a company to liquidate, especially when the company has lost a legal battle.
What CAMA 2020 Says About Dormant Companies
Sections 692 to 695 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 make provisions and also govern the striking off of a defunct company from the register and the declaration of its remaining property as bona vacantia (ownerless goods).
According to the section, there are only two ways a company can be relisted after being struck off from the CAC database
- By court order
- Restoration by the CAC registrar
Consequences of Being Struck Off from the CAC Register
It is better to lose out on a huge business deal, be unable to win a client or even suffer financial loss than be in a situation where your company becomes delisted from CAC after years of dominance.
Below are the compliance risks companies face for being delisted from CAC
1. Loss of Legal Personality
A company is an artificial person in law. Getting struck off by CAC means the artificial company has died and ceases to exist. This further makes the company lose credibility and public image entirely.
Other events, like voluntary winding up and liquidation, can put a company in a red zone where it loses its legal personality and becomes totally dissolved
2. Frozen Bank Accounts and Assets
Once delisted from the CAC database, the company’s corporate accounts will become frozen, even if it has billions of Naira sitting there.
All assets held in the name of the company can not be assessed, sold or even used in the normal course of business operations.
3. Voidable Contracts and Legal Barriers
For companies that engage in government contracts and other sectors like shipping, cargo, e.t.c. Once struck off by the Corporate Affairs Commission, by legal implication, the company will not be able to carry out its obligations of the company.
The risk associated with this is that the company could end up losing out on its sponsors and partners that may find other better alternatives, while the struck-off company faces its legal battles with CAC
4. Accruing Penalties
The company may not continue to do business as this would amount to an illegality punishable under the Act, and the officers of the company would be liable upon conviction to a daily fine of ₦200 for every day during which the default continues.18
5. Loss of Business Identity
Once delisted, the company can face the risk of losing its legal name to other competitors who may take advantage of this loophole and put the company out of business.
Other documents, like TIN, VAT, and all taxes paid, also face the risk of being null and void. At this point, the company would become a shadow of itself, having lost its identity.
At this stage, suppliers will stop supplying goods and raw materials, customers will stop buying from the company, and its name will be in the CAC list of delisted companies in the national dailies.
How To Relist A Struck-Off Company on CAC in Nigeria
Whether you are the company owner, a legal practitioner or an accountant, looking forward to relisting a company on CAC that has been delisted, these are the right steps to follow.w
1. Obtain a Court Order from the Federal High Court
The next step is to obtain a court order from the Federal High Court. An official application should be made to this court seeking to obtain an order to relist the company on the CAC database.
If the court is satisfied that such a company was struck off by mistake or has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that it was still in operation as at the time of being struck off, it will from there grant the request.
2. Write an Appeal to the Registrar-General
Once the court order has been secured, the next step is to write an appeal to the Registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commision or visit the CAC headquarters in Abuja and request that the company be reinstated on the portal.
After submitting the court order to CAC, the company will also pay the relisting fee, such as
- ₦50,000 for companies limited by Guarantee
- ₦25,0000 for small companies
- ₦50,000 for private companies other than small
- ₦100,000 for public companies
3. File All Outstanding Annual Returns
The next step to relisting of the delisted company is to file all outstanding annual returns for the relevant years.
Even if your company was registered in 1980, you will have to file annual returns to date. Some clients will claim that they have been filing annual returns before, but the payment was made offline, since CAC migrated to the online portal not long ago.
In such a situation, the company must provide evidence, a payment receipt or any documents that show the annual returns were filed before. Once this is done, the commission will relieve the company of those years it has filed before.
4. Pay Professional Fees
The whole process of securing a court order, applying to the registrar and filing all relevant years’ annual returns and trying to relist a struck-off company in Nigeria is very complicated and should be handled by a professional.
For this reason, you will be paying professional fees to the experienced personnel handling the work.
Legacy Benjamin Consult is your trusted CAC-accredited agent with 5 years of experience in consulting and corporate law.
Hire us today to relist your company back to CAC by sending us a DM @ 08066108299
Documents Required to Relist a Company on CAC
To carry on a successful relisting of a struck-off company in Nigeria, you need the following documents.
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Status Report (if available)
- All Compliance Documents
- Sectoral licences (where applicable)
- Directors’ ID Cards and Signatures
- Proof of Annual Return Filing (Acknowledgement letters)
- Letter of Appeal to CAC
- Payment Receipts for Penalties
With these documents handy, you can relist a struck-off company in Nigeria even if the company was registered a long time ago.
List of Struck-Off Companies
CAC usually publishes a comprehensive list of companies it intends to strike off every year before taking action. You can check them out in the Struck Off Companies.
How to Avoid Being Struck Off in the Future
Below are some tips that will help you stay afloat
- File annual returns when due. (Don’t wait to accrue penalties and don’t be found wanting)
- Maintain an active business address
- Have competent staff and a business structure
- Be keen on compliance not just to CAC but with other relevant government authorities
- Keep the Tax payment evidence
- Ensure to engage only in ethical business practices
- Only hire experts for your corporate needs (E.g Legacy Benjamin Consult 08066108299)
FAQs on Relisting of Delisted Companies in Nigeria
Q: How Long Does It Take to Relist a Company on CAC?
A: The process to relist a struck-off company in Nigeria back to CAC should take about 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the company
Q: Can a Struck-Off Company Operate a Bank Account?
A: No. All corporate accounts linked to such a company will be frozen
Q: How Much Does It Cost to Relist a CAC Company?
A: The cost to relist a company on CAC is relative and varies depending on the complexity of the company, the number of years the company has defaulted, and the professional agent engaging in such work
Q: Can a Business Name Be Restored Like a Company?
A: Yes
Q: What Happens If CAC Refuses My Application?
A: At this point, there isn’t really much you can do
Q: How do I know if my company has been struck off by CAC?
A: You can check the CAC public search portal (search.cac.gov.ng). Your company name will appear with an inactive status and also be marked “Struck Off” in red
Q: What happens to a company’s assets after it’s struck off?
A: The assets will also remain frozen. They cannot be sold or transferred until the company is legally restored to the CAC register.
Q: Does CAC notify companies before striking them off?
A: Yes. CAC usually publishes a public notice in the national dailies such as Punch, Business Day, Vanguard, Tribune, Standard Times, etc. and on its official website before delisting inactive companies.
CAC doesn’t have the jurisdiction to strike out a company without public notice and awareness
Q: Can CAC reject a relisting application?
Yes, CAC can reject your application if documents are incomplete, fees are unpaid, or the appeal letter does not meet formal requirements.
Q: Can a Company that has been delisted from CAC records still sue or be sued in Nigeria?
A: No. Once struck off, a company loses its legal personality, meaning it cannot sue or be sued until the company has applied for relisting and made all necessary payments.
Q: What happens to the company RC number after restoration?
A: Nothing will happen to it. Upon restoration, the company will retain its name and RC number
Q: Can foreign-owned companies in Nigeria also be struck off?
A: Yes. CAC can strike off both local and foreign-owned companies that fail to comply with annual filing and other statutory requirements.
Q: How often should I file annual returns to avoid being struck off again?
A: The deadline to file annual returns is the 30th of June every year
Q: Where can I get professional help to relist my company?
A: You can contact Legacy Benjamin Consult at 08066108299 for professional guidance on company restoration and compliance.
Conclusion:
Finally, getting struck off from the CAC database is something that will come with a lot of disappointment and loss for the company and its owners.
While CAC have been very strict with its policies and ensuring companies stay compliant, a lot of companies in Nigeria understand what they are supposed to do, but most of them choose not to obey.
I have also discovered that a lot of business owners are ignorant of annual returns and their importance.
As we all know, ignorance of the law is not an excuse, and I hope with this article, you should be able to understand the procedure involved to relist a struck-off company in Nigeria back to CAC and the cost involved.
