CAC Under Fire Over Alleged Duplicate Trustee Registration, Petition Questions CAMA Compliance
CAC Under Fire Over Alleged Duplicate Trustee Registration, Petition Questions CAMA Compliance
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has come under renewed public scrutiny following allegations that two incorporated trustees bearing the same name were registered within weeks of each other, raising concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s corporate registration system.
The controversy stems from a petition submitted to the Registrar-General of the CAC by legal representatives acting on behalf of the trustees of the UKU Secondary Commercial School Alumni Association. According to the petition, the association was first incorporated under Registration Number 9273595 on February 2, 2026. However, the lawyers alleged that another organisation with the identical name was subsequently registered under Registration Number 9372207 on February 26, 2026.
The petitioners argued that the second registration has no affiliation with the original association and maintained that allowing two incorporated trustees to operate under the same name violates the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020. They specifically cited Section 852(1)(a), which prohibits the registration of an incorporated trustee under a name that is identical to an existing registered entity.
According to the lawyers, searches conducted on the CAC’s public portal revealed both registrations, prompting calls for the commission to immediately revoke the later certificate of incorporation and remove the duplicate entry from its records. They contended that the situation could create confusion among members of the public and undermine confidence in Nigeria’s corporate registration framework.
The petition further stated that the CAC has a statutory obligation not only to prevent the approval of identical or deceptive names but also to correct any registration errors that may occur. The legal team warned that retaining both registrations could trigger disputes over the identity, ownership and representation of the association while exposing stakeholders to avoidable legal complications.
The development has renewed discussions about the effectiveness of the CAC’s electronic registration and name reservation system, with stakeholders calling for stronger safeguards to prevent duplicate registrations and ensure strict compliance with the Companies and Allied Matters Act.
As of the time the petition became public, the Corporate Affairs Commission had not issued an official response to the allegations.
