The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is set to deploy an Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent to address a backlog of over 7,000 company registration applications and improve service delivery. Registrar-General and CEO of the Commission, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ forum held in Kano on Monday.
Magaji explained that the AI agent will manage requests across key areas such as compliance, registry, and customer service. According to him, the use of AI will enable the Commission to process applications with greater speed and accuracy, ultimately reducing delays that have hindered service delivery in recent months.
“In a bid to tackle the backlog of 7,000 registration applications… an AI agent was in the pipeline to handle requests across compliance, registry, and customer service with speed and accuracy,” the Commission said in a statement quoting the Registrar-General.
The Registrar-General also acknowledged that the transition to the AI-powered portal, launched in June, has been challenging. He noted that customers have encountered delays and technical issues, particularly for services not covered under the first phase of the AI deployment. These problems, he said, were largely due to the overwhelming number of applications the new system has had to process.
To further improve efficiency, the Commission is also developing the AI tool to handle the high volume of daily inquiries. The CAC receives no fewer than 3,000 emails each day, and the AI system is being trained to read and understand these messages within a minute. It will be able to detect duplicate requests and route emails to the appropriate departments for quicker resolution.
Magaji assured stakeholders that the Commission is working hard to stabilize the new system and improve customer experience. “Problems have been identified, and solutions are already in motion,” he said.
The AI-powered portal was introduced as part of a broader initiative to reform Nigeria’s business environment. It marked a complete overhaul of the Commission’s previous Company Registration Portal (CRP). One of its major features is instant name approvals, with the system intelligently suggesting alternative names when preferred options are unavailable. Magaji compared the simplicity of name reservation under the new system to opening an email account.
However, the experience for many users has been far from smooth. Numerous complaints have emerged from Nigerians attempting to register businesses or meet compliance requirements. Common issues include failed payments, inability to submit documents, and frequent technical glitches. These challenges have contributed to the growing backlog the Commission is now trying to clear.
Despite the setbacks, the CAC announced in July that the portal was processing over 11,000 transactions daily. While this represents a significant step forward in automation, Magaji admitted that the journey has not been without its share of difficulties.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to refining the platform and leveraging AI to achieve faster, more reliable service delivery in the months ahead.
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