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CAC Reviews Company Registration Process

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has consolidated the forms required to incorporate a business in Nigeria, reducing the number from seven to one, according to the Special Adviser to the commission’s Registrar General, Mr Garba Abubakar.

“We now have just one form which has been deployed this week. It contains all the information you need to register and is available for download on the CAC website. This reduces the cost and time needed to register a business,” Mr Abubakar said on Friday at the Lagos Stakeholders Forum of the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES).

Mr Abubakar said the CAC would ensure that business owners are able to upload documents electronically as part of its deliverables in the 60-day National Action Plan on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.

The Lagos Stakeholders Forum was the second in two days by EBES, following Thursday’s forum in Kano.

According to the coordinator of EBES, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the forums are designed to inform private stakeholders about government’s efforts to ease the business environment; share details on the Action Plan; and receive feedback to report back to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

She pointed out that an example of the feedback process at work was the unscheduled visit on Thursday by Acting President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, based on EBES feedback.

“Our vision is a dramatic improvement in Nigeria’s business environment over the next three years to a top 100 ranking in the World Bank Doing Business Report, with increased cross-border trading, increased productivity across key economic sectors and an improved business environment that is attractive to both domestic and foreign investors,” she said.

The two forums in Kano and Lagos were well attended by government officials, heads of MDAs and private sector players who interrogated and interacted with officials, offered advice and aired grievances.

Speaking at the Lagos forum, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, said the renewed push to ease the business environment was due to the realisation that “every country that has gotten it right has enabled businesses. It is the most sustainable long term way.”

In Kano, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje was represented by his deputy, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, while in Lagos, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was represented by the Commissioner of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Wasiu Anifowoshe.

The state governments highlighted reform efforts in their states especially as regards getting construction permits and registering properties, which are under their purview.

“In Lagos, getting governor’s permit now takes less than 30 days. Quote me anywhere,” Mr Anifowoshe said.

Some other reform initiatives announced at the forums include the CAC upcoming reform that will allow business owners to get e-stamps for stamp duties without the need to visit the offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

On its part, the FIRS said Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) can now be gotten when registering businesses at the CAC without having to visit its offices.

Other facilitators at the event include Ms Yewande Sadiku, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) and Mrs Jameelah Ayedun, the MD of CR Services.

There were also officials from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Eko Distribution Company, the National Collateral Registry, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), amongst others.

The Stakeholders Engagement Forums were anchored around the seven priority reform areas of EBES, namely, Starting a Business, Getting Credit, Trading Across Borders, Getting Electricity, Construction Permits, Paying Taxes and Registering Property.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

Economy

TotalEnergies Sells 10% Stake in Renaissance JV to Vaaris

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TotalEnergies Vaaris

By Adedapo Adesanya

TotalEnergies EP Nigeria has signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement with Vaaris for the divestment of its 10 per cent non-operated interest in the Renaissance JV licences in Nigeria.

The Renaissance JV, formerly known as the SPDC JV, is an unincorporated joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (55 per cent), Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd (30 per cent, operator), TotalEnergies EP Nigeria (10 per cent) and Agip Energy and Natural Resources Nigeria (5 per cent), which holds 18 licences in the Niger Delta.

In a statement by TotalEnergies on Wednesday, it was stated that under the agreement signed with Vaaris, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria will sell its 10 per cent participating interest and all its rights and obligations in 15 licences of Renaissance JV, which are producing mainly oil.

Production from these licences, it was said, represented approximately 16,000 barrels equivalent per day in company’s share in 2025.

The agreement also stated that TotalEnergies EP Nigeria will also transfer to Vaaris its 10 per cent participating interest in the three other licences of Renaissance JV which are producing mainly gas, namely OML 23, OML 28 and OML 77, while TotalEnergies will retain full economic interest in these licences, which currently account for 50 per cent of Nigeria LNG gas supply.

Business Post reports that the conclusion of the deal is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.

“TotalEnergies EP Nigeria has signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement with Vaaris for the sale of its 10 per cent non-operated interest in the Renaissance JV licences in Nigeria.

“Under the agreement signed with Vaaris, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria will sell to Vaaris its 10 per cent participating interest and all its rights and obligations in 15 licences of Renaissance JV, which are producing mainly oil. Production from these licences represented approximately 16,000 barrels equivalent per day in the company’s share in 2025.

“TotalEnergies EP Nigeria will also transfer to Vaaris its 10 per cent participating interest in the 3 other licenses of Renaissance JV, which are producing mainly gas (OML 23, OML 28 and OML 77), while TotalEnergies will retain full economic interest in these licenses, which currently account for 50 per cent of Nigeria LNG gas supply. Closing is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals,” the statement reads in part.

The development is part of TotalEnergies’ strategies to dump more assets to lighten its books and debt.

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Economy

NGX RegCo Revokes Trading Licence of Monument Securities

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NGX RegCo

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The trading licence of Monument Securities and Finance Limited has been revoked by the regulatory arm of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc.

Known as NGX Regulations Limited (NGX Regco), the regulator said it took back the operating licence of the organisation after it shut down its operations.

The revocation of the licence was approved by Regulation and New Business Committee (RNBC) at its meeting held on September 24, 2025, a notice from the signed by the Head of Market Regulations at the agency, Chinedu Akamaka, said.

“This is to formally notify all trading license holders that the board of NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo) has approved the decision of the Regulation and New Business Committee (RNBC)” in respect of Monument Securities and Finance Limited, a part of the disclosure stated.

Monument Securities and Finance Limited was earlier licensed to assist clients with the trading of stocks in the Nigerian capital market.

However, with the latest development, the firm is no longer authorised to perform this function.

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Economy

NEITI Advocates Fiscal Discipline, Transparency as FG, States, LGs Get N6trn in Three Months

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NEITI

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called for fiscal discipline and transparency as data showed that federal government, states, and local governments shared a whopping N6 trillion Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements in the third quarter of last year.

In its analysis of the FAAC Q3 2025 allocation, the body revealed that the federal government received N2.19 trillion, states received N1.97 trillion, and local governments received N1.45 trillion.

According to a statement by the Director of Communication and Stakeholders Management at NEITI, Mrs Obiageli Onuorah, the allocation indicated a historic rise in federation account receipts and distributions, explaining that year-on-year quarterly FAAC allocations in 2025 grew by 55.6 per cent compared with Q3 of 2024 while it more than doubling allocations over two years.

The report contained in the agency’s Quarterly Review noted that the N6 trillion included 13 per cent payments to derivative states. It also showed that statutory revenues accounted for 62 per cent of shared receipts, while Value Added Tax (VAT) was 34 per cent, and Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and augmentation from non-oil excess revenue each accounted for 2 per cent, respectively.

The distribution to the 36 states comprised revenues from statutory sources, VAT, EMTL, and ecological funds. States also received additional N100 billion as augmentation from the non-oil excess revenue account.

The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr Sarkin Adar, called on the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) FAAC, the National Economic Council (NEC), the National Assembly, and state governments to act on the recommendations to strengthen transparency, accountability, and long-term fiscal sustainability.

“Though the Quarter 3 2025 FAAC results are encouraging, NEITI reiterates that the data presents an opportunity to the government to institutionalise prudent fiscal practices that will protect the gains that have been recorded so far in growing revenue and reduce vulnerability to commodity shocks.

“The Q3 2025 FAAC results are encouraging, but windfalls must be managed with discipline. Greater transparency, realistic budgeting, and stronger stabilisation mechanisms will ensure these resources deliver durable benefits for all Nigerians,” Mr Adar said.

NEITI urged the government at all levels to ensure the growth of Nigeria’s sovereign wealth and stabilisation capacity, by committing to regular transfers to the Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Fund and other related stabilisation mechanisms in line with the fiscal responsibility frameworks.

It further advised governments at all levels to adopt realistic budget benchmarks by setting more conservative and achievable crude oil production and price assumptions in the budget to reduce implementation gaps, deficit, and debt metrics.

This, it said, is in addition to accelerating revenue diversification by prioritising reforms that would attract investments into the mining sector, expedite legislation to modernise the Mineral and Mining Act, support reforms in the downstream petroleum sector, as well as the full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to expand domestic refining and value addition.

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