A lawyer, Faisal Manir, has condemned the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for imposing additional fees on name reservation and company registration services following the 2026 Easter holiday.

In a public statement, Manir described the charges as illegal, ultra vires and null from the outset. He called on CAC Registrar-General, Ishaq Hussaini Magaji (SAN), to suspend and permanently remove the fees, urging the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to intervene. According to Manir, Nigerians were hit unexpectedly on April 7, 2026, with an arbitrary increase in the cost of doing business.

The lawyer recalled that CAC had already doubled the statutory fee for name reservations from N500 to N1,000 on May 29, 2025, with the launch of the iCRP 3.0 platform—a figure gazetted as legally binding.

“Any additional charges, including a disputed N200 “iCRP Service Charge for Name Reservation” and N500 for business name/company registration, are unlawful and exploitative”, the lawyer argued. Manir emphasized that CAC, as a statutory body, cannot impose fees outside those expressly authorized by law.

He questioned claims that the extra charges were intended to fund technological upgrades, pointing out the previous N100 per cent increase less than a year ago.

Calling the fees arbitrary and burdensome, Manir urged immediate action from the Registrar-General and intervention by the NBA. He also warned Nigerians not to remain silent against unlawful administrative actions that undermine the rule of law and ease of doing business.

The legal challenge highlights broader questions about regulatory authority and whether agencies can levy fees without gazette approval.