How to add a director on CAC portal
Appointing a new director to a Nigerian limited company isn’t just a matter of adding a name to your letterhead — it has to be formally filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission to take legal effect. Here’s the step-by-step process.
Step 1: Pass the Required Resolution
Before touching the portal, the appointment needs to be properly authorized. Depending on your company’s Articles of Association, this means either a board resolution or a shareholders’ resolution approving the appointment of the new director. This document forms part of what you’ll upload during the filing, so have it drafted and signed before you start.
Step 2: Gather the New Director’s Details and Documents
You’ll need, for the incoming director:
- Full legal name (must match their official ID exactly)
- Residential address
- Nationality
- Means of identification — National Identification Number (NIN) for Nigerian directors, or the data page of the international passport for foreign nationals
- A recent passport photograph
- A signature specimen
One detail worth emphasizing: the CAC portal is integrated with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database, so a Nigerian director’s details entered on the portal are cross-checked against their NIN record in real time. Even a minor discrepancy — a middle name spelled differently, an address that doesn’t match — can trigger a system flag and delay approval. Double-check every field against the director’s official ID before submitting.
Step 3: Log In and Locate the Filing Option
On the CAC portal (icrp.cac.gov.ng), log into your company’s account and find the post-incorporation or company filing section, then select the option for appointment/change of directors.
Step 4: Enter Director Details and Upload Documents
Input the new director’s details as gathered in Step 2, then upload:
- The signed board or shareholders’ resolution
- The director’s identification document
- Passport photograph
- Signature specimen
Step 5: Pay the Filing Fee
There’s a prescribed CAC filing fee for the appointment, payable directly through the portal’s payment system before the filing can be submitted for processing.
Step 6: Submit and Wait for Approval
Once submitted, the filing goes to CAC for review. If all details match correctly (particularly the NIN cross-check for Nigerian directors), approval is usually processed without further back-and-forth. If there’s a mismatch or missing document, the portal will typically flag it, and you’ll need to correct and resubmit.
Step 7: Download the Updated Records
Once approved, the new director’s name is reflected in the company’s official CAC records. You can then download an updated status report or Certified True Copy (CTC) showing the current list of directors, which you’ll likely need for bank account updates, contracts, or other formalities that require proof of the director’s official appointment.
A Few Practical Notes
- If you’re removing an existing director rather than only adding a new one, that’s typically handled as a related but separate filing (removal of director), often processed alongside the appointment if both are happening at once.
- For companies with foreign participation, remember that such companies cannot rely on the single-director exemption available to genuine small companies — at least two directors are required.
- Keep a copy of every resolution and filing confirmation for your company’s statutory records; you’ll want these on hand for future audits, due diligence, or bank compliance checks.
Bottom line: adding a director is a document-driven filing — get the resolution right, get the new director’s details matching their official ID exactly, and the portal process itself is fairly quick.
How to add a director on CAC portal
