CAC Query — What It Means and How to Respond

A CAC query is a written request from an iCRP reviewer for clarification or correction on an application that has paused short of a decision. The query lands on the iCRP dashboard with a response window — historically 21 to 30 days from the query date, but the exact figure is visible on the case-file itself. Respond inside the window through the same case file; if the window lapses, the application is treated as abandoned and any reservation tied to it is lost.

CAC queries cluster into five common types. Identifying which type the dashboard is showing is the first step in any response; the documents needed for each differ, and treating a name-conflict query as if it were a documents query usually fails to clear the pause.

The categories are not mutually exclusive — a single query can surface more than one issue. Read the full query text in the iCRP dashboard before assuming you know which type applies; reviewers often number their points, and a Type 1 documents fix without addressing a buried Type 3 signatory point will trigger a second query.

The iCRP portal queries an application by:

• Marking the case-file status as Query on the dashboard at icrp.cac.gov.ng.
• Sending an email notification to the registered email address on the account.
• Showing the full query text on the case-file detail page, along with the response deadline.
• Locking the application from progression until the response is uploaded and the reviewer re-opens the file.

A pre-incorporation query (name reservation, fresh incorporation, AG-consent application) shows on the pre.cac.gov.ng dashboard. A post-incorporation query (change of directors, change of address, annual returns, share transfer) shows on the post.cac.gov.ng dashboard. The two portal halves run on separate case-file streams; a query in one does not surface in the other.

For accredited-agent submissions the query lands on the agent's dashboard rather than the principal's. The agent is the customer-facing actor for any iCRP-mediated correspondence on that application. Where the application was filed DIY under the proprietor's or director's own iCRP account, the query lands on that account and the responder is the same person who filed.

1. 1
   Sign in and read the full query textOpen the iCRP dashboard at pre.cac.gov.ng or post.cac.gov.ng depending on the application type, and locate the case-file marked Query. Read the full query text — including any numbered sub-points — before deciding which corrected documents to assemble.
2. 2
   Identify which of the five query types appliesMatch the query text against the five common types: incomplete documents, name conflict, signatory or identity mismatch, address verification, or consent missing. Where the query covers more than one type, plan a response that addresses every point in a single upload; the reviewer reads the full response before re-opening the file.
3. 3
   Assemble the corrected documentsFor a Type 1 documents query, scan or re-prepare the missing or corrected document in the format the portal accepts (PDF for forms, JPG or PNG for photographs and signatures). For a Type 3 signatory query, re-execute the documents with matching name forms and signatures. For a Type 5 consent query, attach the AG or sector-regulator consent letter as received from the issuing authority.
4. 4
   Upload through the same case file's response interfaceInside the case-file detail page on the iCRP dashboard the Query state exposes a Response upload field. Upload the corrected documents directly here; do not start a fresh application. The response is timestamped against the original case file.
5. 5
   Submit the response and wait for the reviewerSubmission of the response triggers a re-review. The case-file status flips from Query back to Under Review (or equivalent). Typical re-review windows run from one to seven working days depending on the substance and the reviewer's workload. A successful re-review flips the file to Approved; a further issue triggers a second query.

A discipline that holds across every query type: respond once, comprehensively. A piecemeal response that addresses only part of the query usually triggers a second query rather than an approval. The cost of a comprehensive response is the same as a partial one; the comprehensive response clears faster.

The iCRP portal sets a response window on every query and the case-file dashboard displays the deadline. The window has historically run 21 to 30 days for routine queries; the exact figure for any given case is on the dashboard.

Where the window lapses without a response:

• The application is treated as abandoned. The reviewer takes the file off the active queue.
• Any name reservation tied to the application also lapses. The 60-day reservation window under Sections 31 and 32 of CAMA 2020 runs in parallel; if both windows pass, the reservation returns to the public pool and another applicant can reserve the name.
• The fees paid against the abandoned application are consumed. The CAC refund policy at icrp.cac.gov.ng applies only in narrow circumstances; a lapsed query is rarely a refundable cause.
• A fresh start is required: fresh reservation if needed, fresh application, fresh fees.

The recovery from an abandoned application is therefore proportionate to the work that was already done. A lapsed reservation on a clean name is a modest loss; a lapsed full incorporation application that had already paid the larger statutory fees is a larger loss. Treat any query as the priority of the working week it lands in.

The DIY route covers most queries. Types 1, 3, and 4 (documents, signatory, address) are clerical fixes the applicant can run themselves: the corrected document, the matching signature, the recent utility bill. The applicant's own iCRP account is the response surface.

The accredited-agent route earns its fee on Types 2 and 5:

• A Type 2 name-conflict query at substantive review is a written argument: the reviewer treats the proposed name as confusingly similar to an existing entity, and the response either accepts the call (and switches to a different name) or contests it with reasoning the reviewer will accept. An accredited lawyer or chartered secretary used to drafting these responses is the load-bearing factor.
• A Type 5 consent query requires substantive engagement with the AG's office at the Federal Ministry of Justice or with the relevant sector regulator (CBN, NAICOM, SEC). The agent's familiarity with the consent route is the value-add.

For everything else, DIY at the original applicant's iCRP account is the routine choice and the agent fee is avoidable. See CAC accreditation for the framework of accredited agents and the DIY portal route.

A query is rarely the start of the journey. It sits inside a broader registration or post-registration workflow. The cross-references most often relevant:

• A name-reservation query is usually one of the five refusal categories surfacing inside the reservation flow rather than as a refusal. See CAC name reservation failed for the diagnostic on each category.
• A fresh-incorporation query usually surfaces during a Part C business-name walkthrough (see how to register a business name with CAC) or a Part A company walkthrough (see how to register a limited company).
• A post-incorporation query surfaces during a change-of-directors, change-of-address, or change-of-shareholders filing. See how to add a director and how to change your business address for the upstream flows.
• A consent-related query routes to the AG consent timeline. See how to register a company limited by guarantee for the AG consent route in detail.

Treat the query as the present-tense pause and the surrounding article as the broader context. The query rarely makes sense without the underlying workflow.

• Do NOT ignore the query in the hope it will go away. The portal does not auto-clear a query; the deadline runs against the case file and a lapsed window costs the application.
• Do NOT start a fresh application as a workaround for a query. The original case-file references are still active; a parallel application consumes another set of fees and rarely resolves faster than the query response.
• Do NOT pay an informal 'CAC consultant' on social media to 'clear' a query. The query response is a documents-and-text submission through the iCRP portal; no informal channel can bypass the reviewer's queue.
• Do NOT respond to only part of a multi-point query. A partial response triggers a second query covering the unaddressed points and the application stays paused longer than a single comprehensive response would have left it.
• Do NOT change the case-file reference between submission and response. The query is tied to the original case-file; uploading a corrected document under a different reference creates a parallel application rather than a response.