Economy
CAC Exceeds 2020 Revenue Target by 4.4%
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has disclosed that it exceeded its revenue target for 2020 by 4.4 per cent as it raked in N19 billion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the period under review.
This was disclosed by the CAC Registrar-General, Mr Garba Abubakar, on Wednesday.
According to him, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic that affected economic activities, the commission recorded an increase in the registration of businesses and other corporate entities during the year.
“The year 2020 was one of our best years in terms of revenue generation as we recorded a surge in registration above the previous year.
“We had a revenue target of N18.2 billion, but we closed here with over N19 billion.
“For the first time in the last 10 years, we are able to give more money to the federal government in terms of operating surplus.
“We are hoping that we will meet our target for 2021 because where there is increased compliance by customers, there will be an increase in the revenue for the government.
“Transactions are now easily carried out with the electronic system, as you pay through the remittal on our portal, without paper works,” he said.
He expressed hopes that the agency would surpass the N20 billion revenue target this year by leveraging on electronic systems transactions for most of its operations.
Mr Abubakar, who was appointed to head CAC on January 7, 2020, by President Muhammadu Buhari, said the commission has undergone some reforms in the past year.
According to him, the organisation has successfully embedded the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Tax Identification Number (TIN) on the certificate of registration for companies through the existing FIRS stamp duty portal.
He said that the agency has commenced the implementation of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020) with the introduction of a new self-service portal that allowed for end-to-end electronic submission by customers.
He said that the new CAMA provided a robust framework towards reforming identified legal, regulatory and administrative bottlenecks, which had hitherto slowed down the wheel of doing business for over three decades.
The Registrar-General, however, noted that inherited financial liabilities and the COVID-19 pandemic were some of the challenges he faced in steering the affairs of the organization in the past year.
“The challenges we had last year was the inherited liabilities, as I took over with over N6 billion liabilities, and also had challenges of service delivery because of the COVID-19 restrictions.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were registering company and business names within 24 hours, but the pandemic and the various restrictions to curb the spread of the disease affected our service delivery,” he said.
Mr Abubakar said that part of the commission’s agenda for 2021 was to build stronger collaborations with relevant agencies and intensify the enforcement of the provisions of the new CAMA.
He tasked all registered entities on compliance with the new law in terms of filing their annual returns and other statutory duties to the commission.
According to him, with the new law, it is now easier for companies to file their returns without going through any lawyer, accountant or chartered secretary.
“With the new portal, a company can decide to have its own electronic account that will allow it to make all its fillings directly.
“The new portal also shows at a glance the status of a company, whether it is active, dormant, receivership or liquidation.
“We have given access to most government agencies and foreign missions in Nigeria to confirm the status of companies and we will continue to do that.
“Before they deal with any registered company, they will verify if such company is actually an active company and whether the information provided by such company is consistent with the CAC records,” he said.
Mr Abubakar further said the commission was working out modalities for granting amnesty on annual returns to companies and other registered entities and it would be announced before the end of the first quarter of this year.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu will, on Friday, present the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The presentation, scheduled for 2:00 pm, was conveyed in a notice issued on Wednesday by the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly.
According to the notice, all accredited persons are required to be at their duty posts by 11:00 am on the day of the presentation, as access into the National Assembly Complex will be restricted thereafter for security reasons.
The notice, signed by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Mr Essien Eyo Essien, on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, urged all concerned to ensure strict compliance with the arrangements ahead of the President’s budget presentation.
The 2026 budget is projected at N54.4 trillion, according to the approved 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to repeal and re-enact the 2024 appropriation act in separate letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday and read during plenary by the presiding officers.
The bill was titled Appropriation (Repeal and Re-enactment Bill 2) 2024, involving a total proposed expenditure of N43.56 trillion.
In a letter dated December 16, 2025, the President said the bill seeks authorisation for the issuance of a total sum of N43.56 trillion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the year ending December 31, 2025.
A breakdown of the proposed expenditure shows N1.74 trillion for statutory transfers, N8.27 trillion for debt service, N11.27 trillion for recurrent (non-debt) expenditure, and N22.28 trillion for capital expenditure and development fund contributions.
The President said the proposed legislation is aimed at ending the practice of running multiple budgets concurrently, while ensuring reasonable – indeed unprecedentedly high – capital performance rates on the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.
He explained that the bill also provides a transparent and constitutionally grounded framework for consolidating and appropriating critical and time-sensitive expenditures undertaken in response to emergency situations, national security concerns, and other urgent needs.
President Tinubu added that the bill strengthens fiscal discipline and accountability by mandating that funds be released strictly for purposes approved by the National Assembly, restricting virement without prior legislative approval, and setting conditions for corrigenda in cases of genuine implementation errors.
The bill, which passed first and second reading in the House of Representatives, has been referred to the Committee on Appropriations for further legislative action.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on the export of wood and allied products, revoking all previously issued licenses and permits to exporters.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Lawal, during the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment in Katsina State.
Mr Lawal said the directive, outlined in the Presidential Executive Order titled Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, became necessary to curb illegal logging and deforestation across the country.
“Nigeria’s forests are central to environmental sustainability, providing clean air and water, supporting livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and mitigating the effects of climate change,” the Minister said, warning that the continued exportation of wood threatens these benefits and the long-term health of the environment.
The order, published in the Extraordinary Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 180, Vol. 112 of 16 October 2025, relies on Sections 17(2) and 20 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the state to protect the environment, forests, and wildlife and prevent the exploitation of natural resources for private gain.
Under the new policy, security agencies and relevant ministries are expected to enforce a total clampdown on illegal logging activities nationwide.
On his part, the Katsina State Deputy Governor, Mr Faruk Lawal Jobe highlighted the state’s history of pioneering socio-economic policies that have influenced national policy. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing environmental challenges across the country.
“Environmental sustainability is critical to achieving growth and improving the quality of life of our people,” he said. “Our administration has prioritised initiatives aimed at combating desertification and promoting afforestation.”
The ban reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s shrinking forest cover and addressing climate change, while ensuring sustainable use of natural resources for future generations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.24 per cent on Wednesday, December 17, pulling the Unlisted Security Index (NSI) up by 8.62 points to 3,614.64 points from 3,606.02 points.
In the same vein, the market capitalisation added N4.72 billion to close at N2.164 billion compared with the N2.160 trillion it ended on Tuesday.
The growth was inspired by four securities, which finished on the gainers’ log, neutralising the losses printed by two other securities on the trading platform.
MRS Oil Plc gained N17.90 on Wednesday to end at N196.90 per unit versus N179.00 per unit, NASD Plc appreciated by 59 Kobo to N58.50 per share from N57.91 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc added 15 Kobo to sell at N60.19 per unit versus N60.04 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc rose by 6 Kobo to 64 Kobo per share from 58 Kobo per share.
On the flip side, Golden Capital Plc extended its loss by 76 Kobo to end at N7.75 per unit versus N8.51 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc slipped by 35 Kobo to N39.65 per share from N40.00 per share.
Yesterday, the volume of transactions increased by 737.3 per cent to 20.4 million units from 2.4 million units, but the value of trades fell by 33.8 per cent to N72.2 million from N109.1 million, and the number of deals slid by 62.5 per cent to 21 deals from 56 deals.
Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units sold for N16.4 billion, the second position was occupied by Okitipupa Plc with 178.9 million units transacted for N9.5 billion, and the third place was taken by MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.
InfraCredit Plc was also the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion, followed by IGI Plc with 1.2 billion units valued at N420.7 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 536.9 million units worth N524.9 million.
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