Nigerian KYB is built on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which registers companies nationally and has modernised access through its online portal. The private company limited by shares is the dominant form, and Nigeria has introduced a persons-with-significant-control regime. Identity infrastructure is advancing through the National Identification Number (NIN), though coverage and data quality still require careful handling.
Business verification (KYB)
First Mile Labs retrieves the CAC record — RC number, company status, registered address, and directors — and draws beneficial ownership from the persons-with-significant-control filings where available. The registered details are reconciled against the application, and because registry data quality varies, the platform supplements with document-based verification and flags where ownership cannot be established.
Identity verification (IDV)
Nigerian directors and beneficial owners are verified using the National Identification Number (NIN) slip, international passport, or driver's licence, with document authentication, liveness, and face-match. The platform uses NIN-based verification where available and accepts the Permanent Voter Card as an additional document.
Sanctions, PEP & adverse media (AML)
Nigerian entities and individuals are screened against the Nigeria Sanctions List and NFIU-relevant measures, UN, OFAC, and further watchlists, with PEP and adverse-media checks running continuously. Nigeria's elevated corruption and fraud-exposure profile makes adverse-media screening especially important.
From our compliance team
Nigeria has made real progress — the CAC portal and the persons-with-significant-control regime are genuine improvements — but data quality and coverage are still uneven, and the country carries a high fraud and corruption-exposure profile. We use the CAC record as the backbone, never assume the registry is complete, and weight adverse-media and PEP screening heavily, routing thin or high-exposure cases firmly into enhanced due diligence.
Nigeria onboarding — FAQ
What is the RC number?
The RC (registration) number identifies a company registered with Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission. First Mile Labs uses it to retrieve the CAC record — status, address, and directors.
Does Nigeria have beneficial-ownership data?
Yes — Nigeria has introduced a persons-with-significant-control regime. The platform draws ownership from those filings where available and supplements with document-based verification where the registry is thin.
How are Nigerian individuals verified?
Via the National Identification Number (NIN) slip, international passport, or driver's licence, with NIN-based verification used where available — each document authenticated and matched to a live selfie.
Coverage in other markets
Onboarding customers in Nigeria?
Book a demo and we'll walk you through a full Nigeria case — registry, identity, screening, and decision.
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