CAC Business Name Registration for Advertising in Lagos State

Lagos never stops promoting something: a new restaurant, a bank’s festive campaign, a fashion label’s launch, a politician’s profile, a church’s anniversary. Behind each of those messages is a PR consultant, copywriter, media buyer, designer or social media manager whose business needs a name that clients can write on a contract. Onelove Business Ventures, accredited by CAC as an agent, registers public relations, advertising and marketing businesses in every part of Lagos State. There’s no extra step hiding behind this: message us your business name, and we take it from there.

Public Relations and Advertising Businesses We Register in Lagos

• PR consultants and communications firms: media relations, press releases, reputation and crisis communication.
• Advertising and creative agencies: campaign concepts, copywriting, design and production for brands.
• Media planning and buying businesses: arranging space and airtime across radio, TV, print and digital.
• Digital marketing and social media managers: content calendars, paid campaigns and community management.
• Outdoor advertising operators: billboards, branded vehicles, signage and street displays.
• Brand activation and promotions teams: events, sampling, ambassadors and in-store campaigns.
• Content and video producers for brands: adverts, explainers, photography and social content.
• Influencer and talent marketing outfits: connecting brands with creators for paid campaigns.

Who Regulates Advertising and PR, and Where Registration Fits

Advertising in Nigeria is overseen by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), which replaced the older Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria under an Act passed in 2022 and is headquartered in Iganmu, Lagos. The Act requires those who operate as an advertising or communications business or profession to register with the Council, and a separate Certificate of Approval to Advertise is expected before an advertisement is published or aired, with the application form signed by a registered advertising practitioner. ARCON’s published licensing criteria for agencies include a copy of a Certificate of Incorporation, among other documents, so a firm that aims to be a licensed agency should check early whether a company structure is needed.

Public relations has its own gatekeeper. The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has introduced a consultancy operating licence under its Bye Law No. 3 of 2026, handled through a Consultancy Practice Standards Panel it runs with the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), whose secretariat is in Lagos. A CAC certificate replaces none of this, and requirements change, so confirm the current position with ARCON and NIPR. The thing CAC registration does give you is the legal name you apply, pitch and sign contracts under. For most newcomers, the order is straightforward: register the name, then pursue whichever industry approvals your work calls for.

📋 CAC Business Name Registration

💰 Cost: ₦35,500 (All-Inclusive) ⏱️ Turnaround Time: 5 – 7 Working Days ✅ What You Get: Official CAC Certificate + Certified Status Report + TIN 🚚 Delivery: Soft Copy Sent via WhatsApp (Print Hard Copy Locally)

START REGISTRATION NOW →

Business Name or Limited Liability Company?

A solo consultant, freelancer or small studio can normally start on a Business Name, putting the registered name on proposals, invoices and bank forms. A Limited Liability Company becomes the better choice when you plan to operate as a licensed agency, handle large media budgets, hold outdoor assets or share ownership, because the company, not you, carries the obligations. We would sooner tell you that plainly than sell you the bigger package early.

Here’s Exactly What You’re Paying For

You make one ₦35,500 payment for your PR or advertising business, and the official fee and our own charge are bundled in. If you decide to start as a company instead, the Limited Liability Company is ₦65,500, all-inclusive.

• A search to confirm the name you want is available
• Holding that name for you
• Putting together and lodging the CAC application
• The CAC government filing/processing fee
• Your Certificate of Registration (soft copy)
• Your Tax Identification Number (TIN)
• A CAC Status Report you can hand to clients as proof of registration

Outside the Scope of This Registration

• Hard copies: your certificate is delivered digitally, so any printing is down to you.
• ARCON registration or licensing for agencies and practitioners, which is handled with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria.
• ARCON’s Certificate of Approval to Advertise, sought for individual adverts before they run.
• An NIPR consultancy operating licence, if you offer public relations consultancy and need to be licensed through the Institute.
• Other regulators’ approvals for what you advertise, such as NAFDAC for food, drinks and medicines, which ARCON expects to see where applicable.
• Outdoor advertising and signage permits from the Lagos State authority that handles signage and advertisement, for billboards, wall branding and street displays.
• Music and content licensing for any copyrighted music, footage or images used in client work.
• Tax matters beyond the TIN, including any VAT you may need to charge on services.
• Opening a company account at the bank you prefer, once the certificate is in hand.
• Yearly CAC returns, a brief extra filing that falls due later and that we can prepare for you.

Before You Reach Out

1. A first and second choice of business name
2. One valid ID: National ID (NIN), international passport or driver’s license
3. A passport photograph
4. Where in Lagos State your business is based, including the LGA
5. A phone number and an email address
6. A line or two on what you do, such as “public relations and advertising services” or “digital marketing and brand communications”
7. Only for a Limited Liability Company: identity details of every director and shareholder

From Message to Certificate

1. Name check: we look your name up on CAC’s public portal.
2. Name reservation: we hold it as soon as it clears.
3. Application: we fill in the forms with your business and location details.
4. Documents: you send a photo of your ID and a passport photograph; a phone picture is fine.
5. Payment: you pay ₦35,500, one time, for everything listed above.
6. Delivery: your Certificate of Registration, TIN and Status Report come back, normally within 5–7 working days.

That’s genuinely the whole process from your side: one message, one payment, one certificate.

Registering PR and Advertising Businesses Across Lagos State

Price and timeline are fixed regardless of where you are. The groupings below show where our PR, advertising and marketing clients are based.

Waterfront and peninsula

• Ikoyi, Lagos Island and Victoria Island: agencies and consultants working near corporate clients
• Eti-Osa, Lekki and Ajah: freelancers, studios and digital marketers working from home or shared offices
• Ibeju-Lekki: newer practices starting up farther along the coast

Inner and northern mainland

• Ikeja and its neighbours (Ojodu, Maryland, Magodo): consultants and creative teams near Alausa
• Lagos Mainland, Yaba, Surulere and Shomolu: designers, studios and campaign crews
• Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo, Ifako-Ijaye and Agege: outdoor, promotions and design operators along the busy roads
• Kosofe, Ketu and Ebute-Metta: media-linked, print-linked and creative practices

Western districts and outer towns

• Amuwo-Odofin, Festac, Ojo and Apapa: promotions and advertising firms along the western road
• Alimosho, Ikotun and Egbe: freelancers and small agencies in the biggest residential zone
• Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry: practices serving local businesses in the outer towns

In any of these areas, the registration itself is identical.

A Pitch Due Monday and a Launch on Friday

Marketing work lives on deadlines other people set. A press release must reach editors before the news breaks, a campaign deck is due before a client’s board meets, a launch can’t slip because the venue is booked, and an invoice stays unpaid while you start the next brief. Between pitching, drafting, designing, briefing suppliers and chasing approvals, there’s rarely a calm hour for a government portal. Registration is a job you can pass on whole. After it’s done, your firm has a registered name ready for proposals, contracts and invoices.

You’ll Probably Like Working With Us If…

Not every registration service is the right match for every business owner, and that’s fine — here’s who tends to get the most out of working with us:

• You’re polishing a press release at midnight, briefing a client in the morning and chasing a media contact before a launch — you can’t spare an afternoon for CAC’s portal.
• You’re moving from freelance projects for small brands toward retainers with corporate clients, or building toward a licensed agency — and your proposals should carry a registered name when that happens.
• You want a recommendation that fits your size — not the biggest package by default.
• You want a process without back-and-forth — send your details once, pay once, and there are no surprise charges afterwards.

If this describes you, we’d be glad to take the paperwork off your hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it cost to register a PR or advertising business in Lagos, and what is covered? A Business Name is ₦35,500, all-inclusive, wherever in Lagos State you are based. That covers the name search and reservation, the CAC application and its government fee, your Certificate of Registration (soft copy), a TIN and a CAC Status Report. The Limited Liability Company is ₦65,500, also all-inclusive.

Is a Business Name enough for a PR consultant or advertising business, or do I need a company? For freelancers, solo consultants and small studios, a Business Name is usually enough to start. If you intend to apply as a licensed advertising agency, ARCON’s published criteria list a Certificate of Incorporation, so a company may be the better route. We’ll tell you which suits you.

Does CAC registration give me ARCON registration or an NIPR licence? No. ARCON deals with advertising registration and ad approvals, while NIPR runs licensing for PR consultancies. Your CAC certificate supplies the registered name those applications start from.

Can PR, advertising, social media management and outdoor advertising share one name? Yes. Describe the business broadly, for example “public relations, advertising and digital marketing services”. Outdoor displays, billboards and signage need their own permits.

How long does it take and what do I need to start? Usually 5–7 working days, with the certificate sent as a soft copy on WhatsApp. Have two name ideas, a valid ID, a passport photograph, your Lagos address with its LGA, your phone number and email, and a short description of your work ready.

Have a business name in mind? Message us on WhatsApp →