CAC Wants Unified Corporate Ownership Data to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has called for the harmonisation and centralisation of Nigeria’s beneficial ownership registers to strengthen efforts against illicit financial flows, money laundering and the abuse of corporate structures.

The Registrar-General of the CAC, Mr Hussaini Magaji, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a training on the Beneficial Ownership Register for journalists and civil society organisations.

Mr Magaji said Nigeria needs an interconnected system that would make it easier to identify individuals who ultimately own or control companies, arguing that corporate ownership information should not remain fragmented across separate institutional databases.

“Nigeria should work towards harmonising and centralising beneficial ownership information within a coordinated national framework, with the CAC corporate registry serving as the central corporate data backbone,” he said.

He said the proposed framework would not undermine the statutory responsibilities of agencies such as the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

“This is not about taking away the legitimate statutory responsibilities of NEPZA or NEITI. It is about connecting the dots. It is about ensuring that the Nigerian beneficial ownership ecosystem speaks with one voice, one standard and one level of transparency,” he said.

The call comes amid efforts to improve corporate transparency and prevent the use of companies as vehicles for corruption, tax evasion and other illicit financial activities.

The CAC currently maintains a Beneficial Ownership Register, while beneficial ownership information for entities operating within Free Trade Zones is maintained under the NEPZA framework. Information relating to the extractive industries is maintained within the NEITI framework.

According to the Registrar-General, the three systems share the same fundamental objective of identifying the individuals behind corporate structures.

“The information we are trying to establish is substantially the same. Ultimately, we are trying to answer the same fundamental questions: Who owns this entity? Who controls it? Who benefits from it? And who is the natural person behind the corporate structure?” he said.

He noted that much of the underlying corporate information was connected to records maintained within the CAC corporate registry, making improved coordination among the institutions necessary.

Mr Magaji also urged journalists and civil society organisations to push for interoperability, common standards and improved access to beneficial ownership information while respecting legitimate privacy and data protection requirements.

He said beneficial ownership transparency was not merely a bureaucratic requirement but an important tool for corporate accountability and the protection of public resources.

According to him, the CAC register could help journalists investigate companies, transactions, procurement arrangements and business relationships by identifying individuals who ultimately control corporate entities.

“When investigating a company, a transaction, a procurement arrangement or a business relationship, ask: Who owns this company? Who ultimately controls it? Who benefits from it? Are there relationships that are not immediately visible?” he said.

The Registrar-General disclosed that agencies including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had used beneficial ownership information in investigations and enforcement activities.

He, however, warned journalists against treating the appearance of a person’s name in a corporate record as evidence of criminality.

“Information must be properly understood, independently verified and reported fairly and responsibly,” he said.

Mr Magaji said access to the CAC’s beneficial ownership information was free and urged journalists and civil society organisations to use the platform to strengthen research and public accountability.

“Access to the beneficial ownership data is free. We are deliberately making this information accessible because transparency should not become a privilege available only to those who can afford it,” he said.

The CAC also announced plans to host a Global Conference on Beneficial Ownership in Lagos on November 8, 2026.

The event is expected to attract about 200 delegates from 43 countries and will provide an opportunity to review Nigeria’s progress since its commitment at the London Anti-Corruption Summit and discuss the next phase of beneficial ownership transparency.

Mr Magaji said the success of the register would not be measured by its existence alone but by how effectively its information was used to uncover abuse and strengthen public accountability.

“Nigeria needs a transparency system that does not merely collect information, but connects information,” he said.

The CAC’s Persons with Significant Control Rules, 2022, provide the framework for disclosing individuals who exercise significant ownership, control or influence over companies and other relevant entities.

In Nigeria’s corporate legal framework, a Person with Significant Control refers to what is commonly known internationally as a beneficial owner.