The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has said it would validate customers’ data that are applying for business and company registration with the National Identification Number (NIN) as against using passport or driver’s license.

The Registrar-General of the Commission, Garba Abubakar, disclosed this in Kano on Friday during the 2022 Management Retreat.

Abubabakar said integrating with the National Management Data would replace use of passport, driver’s license, among others for identification for the purpose of registration with the CAC.

“We are integrating with the National Identity Management data. The old practice where customers will be uploading their means of identification using either passport, driver’s licence, we are going to eliminate that.

“For every Nigerian and a foreigner residing in Nigeria all we will require from you moving forward is your NIN number and we will validate your information from the NIN. If there are discrepancies, we will not register, you have to rectify it,” he stated.

He further noted that the commission was working to provide the system that would allow for submission of financial information effortlessly with efficiency than the current system.

He said: “We are integrating an accounting application that would allow you to submit your financial information digitally in extensible reporting language, it doesn’t have to be scanned and uploaded.”

According to him, the aim of the retreat was to reflect on the successes of the previous year and plan for the forthcoming year for effective service delivery by consolidating on the extant successes recorded in their digital transformation of the CAC.

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Abubakar stressed that the commission has succeeded in eliminating physical registration process with an entirely electronic method with better outcome.

“We upgraded company registration portal that was deployed in January 2021. Between that time and now, almost all our processes are driven by electronic system. The old practice where customers queue in our offices to transact with us has been abolished. You deal with us electronically. This is a major stride.

“We are operating at par with our pairs in other countries. So, this is a significant milestone and we have to consolidate on that. We will not rest on our oars and begin to assume because we have got this level. Technology is dynamic, the world is moving, and we are constantly reviewing and fine-tuning the system to make it the best,” he added.

Abubakar, who acknowledged that there were challenges in the process, said the commission was working with the feedbacks from the customers to address the challenges and improve service delivery.

According to him, the company that provided the existing company portal registration was indigenous, noting that the commission would also deploy competent Nigerian company that would handle the challenges identified by the customers.

He said the CAC issues only naira-denominated contracts, adding: “We are advertising, any company that bids for any contract in Nigeria is supposed to be a Nigerian company and our tradition is moving forward we don’t issue contract that are dollar-denominated and we don’t accept any variation subsequently.

“We will advertise, we will prequalify the companies, look at their profile, look at what they have done. What I can assure you is that we will pick the best based on available funds that we have. We know what other agencies have implemented, we know the cost although there is inflation but we will try to use a local company.”

The Star