CAC Name Reservation — How to Run the Search and Reserve a Name

A name-availability check at the CAC public search portal returns one of three outcomes. Each routes the application to a different next step. Naming the outcome before paying the reservation fee is what stops the fee being spent against a name that was never going to register.

The single most useful action is to run the free public search before paying any reservation fee. The reservation does not refund if the name subsequently fails the formal availability or AG-consent check — the fee is consumed at submission, not at outcome.

A name that clears the public search and contains no restricted words is the routine case. The reservation flow at the iCRP portal takes the name from "available" to "held for 60 days" against a Remita payment.

1. 1
   Sign in to iCRP at pre.cac.gov.ngCreate or sign in to an iCRP account using your Nigerian phone number or NIN. The reservation submission requires an active account; the account is then yours for every subsequent CAC interaction including the incorporation itself.
2. 2
   Select 'Reserve a Name' and choose the entity typeThe iCRP portal asks which entity type the name is being reserved for — business name (Part C), private company limited by shares (Part A), company limited by guarantee (Part A), incorporated trustees (Part F), or partnership (Part B). The suffix rules depend on the choice; entering the wrong entity type guarantees a refusal.
3. 3
   Enter the preferred name and an alternateSubmit the preferred name. The portal accepts up to two name submissions per reservation; if the preferred is refused the alternate is considered automatically. Choose names that have already passed the free public search; the alternate is a backup, not the first attempt.
4. 4
   Pay the reservation fee through RemitaThe portal generates a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR). Pay by card on the portal for the fastest reconciliation; the bank-counter route works but adds 24 to 48 hours. The fee is the statutory ₦500 line; some portal flows display a bundled ₦1,000 or ₦1,500 figure where a processing surcharge is added at checkout.
5. 5
   Receive the reservation numberOn payment confirmation the iCRP portal returns a reservation number against the application. The name is held for 60 days from the approval date; the reservation number pulls into any subsequent incorporation form for the same applicant.

Inside the 60-day window the name is reserved exclusively for the applicant. Outside the window the reservation lapses and the name returns to the available pool. A single 60-day renewal is usually possible by paying the reservation fee again before the original lapses; planning the incorporation to land inside the first window is the more efficient route.

For the next steps after reservation — the full incorporation flow — see how to register a business name with CAC for the Part C case and how to register a limited company for the Part A case. The reservation is step one of the same registration whichever entity type applies.

A refusal is the most frustrating outcome because the applicant has settled on a name that turns out not to be registrable. The refusal categories are largely predictable and largely avoidable through the free public search.

The five common refusal categories:

• Identical to an existing registered entity. The same name is already on the CAC register. The check is exact; the only fix is a different name.
• Confusingly similar to an existing registered entity. The same words in a different order, a minor spelling variant, an added generic word ('Group', 'Holdings', 'Limited') that does not add distinguishing substance. The threshold is whether a counterparty's eye would distinguish the two; CAC's view is conservative.
• Prohibited word under Section 852(1) of CAMA 2020. A name misleading as to public-service connection, a name identical to a current or former Nigerian official body, a name violating public policy. These are absolute refusals; no consent route exists.
• Restricted word without consent. A name containing 'Federal', 'National', 'Government', 'Bank', 'Insurance' (or similar) where the applicant has not pursued the relevant consent. The name can be registered if the consent is obtained; the route is Outcome 3 below, not a fresh refusal.
• Wrong suffix for the entity type. A business name carrying 'Ltd'; a Part A private company without 'Limited' or 'Ltd'; a company limited by guarantee without 'GTE' or '(LBG)'. The fix is to match the suffix to the entity type and re-submit.

A refusal does not produce a refund of the reservation fee. The cheapest filter is the free public search at publicsearch.cac.gov.ng before paying any reservation fee; the search catches most identical and confusingly-similar refusals before money changes hands.

For a fuller diagnostic of each refusal category and the specific fixes, see the forthcoming CAC name reservation failed walkthrough.

Some name categories trigger statutory consent routes that extend the standard registration timeline. The reservation can still be paid and the name can still be held; the registration itself waits on the consent.

The three consent routes the reader most often meets:

• Attorney-General of the Federation's consent for every company limited by guarantee. Under CAMA 2020 a company limited by guarantee (the standard Part A non-profit structure) cannot be incorporated without the AG's consent. The application is submitted to the Federal Ministry of Justice with the proposed memorandum and articles, the trustees' particulars, and a justification of the not-for-profit objects. The consent route typically takes 4 to 12 weeks; some routes have been recorded as taking longer where the ministry queries the objects. The CAC reservation is held during the consent process and the incorporation completes after the consent is granted.
• CAC's specific consent under Section 852(2) for restricted words. Names containing 'Federal', 'National', 'Regional', 'State', 'Government' (or any term suggesting governmental patronage), 'Municipal', 'Chartered', 'Cooperative', or 'Building Society' need CAC's specific consent at registration. The applicant submits a justification to the Commission alongside the reservation; CAC either grants or refuses on substantive grounds.
• Sector-regulator consent for banking, insurance, and capital-markets terms. Names suggesting banking (CBN), insurance (NAICOM), or capital-markets activity (SEC) need the relevant regulator's consent in addition to CAC's. A company intending to use the word 'Bank' in its name must hold (or be applying for) a CBN banking licence; the same applies to 'Insurance' and NAICOM, 'Securities' and SEC.

For an incorporated trustees entity (Part F of CAMA 2020) the registration runs through its own consent route and post-incorporation requirements. See the forthcoming how to register incorporated trustees walkthrough for the full flow.

The iCRP portal validates the structural format of a name at submission. A name that fails format validation is refused before substantive checks run. The structural rules:

• Length. Two to three significant words is the usual range. A single-word name is permitted but often fails distinctiveness; a five-word name is rarely refused on length alone but tests the applicant's brand discipline.
• Suffix. Matched to the entity type. Part C business name: no corporate suffix. Part A private company limited by shares: 'Limited' or 'Ltd'. Part A public company: 'Plc' or 'Public Limited Company'. Part A company limited by guarantee: 'GTE' or '(LBG)' or 'Limited by Guarantee'. Part B limited liability partnership: 'LLP'. Part B limited partnership: 'LP'.
• Symbols. The ampersand ('&') is accepted. Other symbols ('+', '@', '#', '/', etc.) are typically refused. Punctuation is minimal; apostrophes and full stops can usually be used but introduce search-discoverability friction.
• Leading words. Names beginning with 'The' or 'A' are accepted but rarely necessary; the leading article often drops at the registry's discretion.
• Numbers. Numerals are accepted ('2020 Ventures Limited' is valid) but a number-only name ('1234 Limited') fails distinctiveness. A mix of a distinctive word and a number is the routine case.

A name that fails one of the structural rules can usually be fixed by reformatting; the fix is faster than starting over with a new name.

Both routes are available; the reservation step is light enough that the DIY route at pre.cac.gov.ng is the routine choice.

The DIY route makes sense when:

• The applicant is running the reservation as part of their own incorporation that they intend to submit directly. The reservation number pulls into the incorporation form on the same iCRP account; running both through the same applicant reduces the chance of a reference-mismatch.
• The name does not carry restricted words and there is no AG-consent route to manage. A routine name on a routine entity type is a portal-only operation.

The accredited-agent route makes sense when:

• The same engagement covers the full incorporation, and the agent is already running the substantive filing. Bundling the reservation under the agent's account keeps the reservation number on the same submission as the incorporation form.
• The name carries restricted words and the consent route needs to be managed alongside the reservation. An accredited lawyer or chartered secretary already familiar with the AG-consent route at the Federal Ministry of Justice or the relevant sector regulator is the load-bearing factor.

A common rhythm is to run the reservation directly at pre.cac.gov.ng for the speed of the routine case, then route the incorporation through an accredited agent only if the entity type or the substance of the registration warrants it. Bundling the agent into the reservation is not necessary for a routine name.

• Do NOT pay the reservation fee before running the free public search at publicsearch.cac.gov.ng. The reservation does not refund against a subsequent refusal; the free search is the cheapest filter.
• Do NOT reserve under the wrong entity type to save time. The suffix rules differ; a reservation under 'business name' that is then used for a 'private company' incorporation form will fail validation and consume the fee.
• Do NOT pay an informal agent on social media to 'guarantee' a name reservation. The reservation flow is automated and runs through Remita to CAC; no informal channel can bypass the substantive checks. An informal CAC consultant offering a guarantee is selling something the framework does not allow.
• Do NOT let the 60-day reservation window lapse without either incorporating or renewing. A lapsed reservation returns the name to the available pool and anyone else can reserve it; the applicant's only recourse is a fresh reservation fee on a name that may by then be taken.
• Do NOT use a name containing 'Federal', 'National', 'Government', 'Bank', or 'Insurance' without first pursuing the relevant consent route. The portal will accept the reservation submission but the substantive registration will fail at incorporation without the consent.