Is Your Company on the CAC Strike Off List? Act Before the 90 Days Run Out

The Corporate Affairs Commission has commenced another round of striking off companies from the register, with 100,000 companies given 90 days to regularise outstanding annual returns, Persons with Significant Control information and other statutory filings.

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The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has commenced another round of striking off companies from the Register, placing 100,000 companies at risk of deregistration for failure to comply with statutory filing requirements.

The exercise was announced in a public notice dated 15 July 2026 and is being conducted pursuant to sections 692(3) and (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 (CAMA). The affected companies have been directed to regularise their records within 90 days by filing outstanding annual returns and the required Persons with Significant Control (PSC) or beneficial ownership information.

What Companies Need to Know The CAC has warned that companies that fail to comply within the stipulated period may be struck off the Register without further notice. Evidence of compliance is also required to be submitted to the designated CAC email address within the prescribed period.

Companies should therefore immediately check their status on the CAC portal and determine whether their names appear on the published list of affected companies.

Where a company is affected, it should:

Identify all outstanding annual returns and other statutory filings. Regularise its annual returns and pay all applicable fees and penalties. Review and update its Persons with Significant Control or beneficial ownership information. Submit evidence of compliance to the CAC through the designated channel. Retain copies of all filings, payment receipts and correspondence with the Commission. The 90-day period runs from the date of the CAC notice. Based on a calendar calculation from 15 July 2026, the period falls around 13 October 2026. [needs partner review]

Why Compliance Matters Annual returns are an ongoing statutory obligation for registered companies. Failure to maintain these filings can expose a company to penalties and, in circumstances covered by section 692 of CAMA, eventual removal from the Register.

A company should therefore not assume that inactivity means its compliance obligations have stopped. Even companies that are no longer actively trading should review their corporate status and consider the appropriate legal procedure for dealing with the company.

The CAC's latest exercise forms part of its broader effort to maintain an accurate and up-to-date register of companies in Nigeria.

What Company Owners Should Do Now If your company has been registered for several years but its annual returns have not been maintained, this is the time to review its records.

Check the company's status on the CAC portal, review its filing history and confirm whether it appears on the current strike-off list. If it does, the outstanding filings should be regularised within the applicable period.

Companies should also ensure that their corporate records, director information and beneficial ownership information remain accurate and up to date.

This development is a reminder that incorporation is not the end of a company's compliance obligations. Maintaining the company's statutory filings is an ongoing responsibility.

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Companies affected by the CAC notice should obtain professional advice where their filing history, ownership structure or corporate records require further review.