The Registrar-General and CEO of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, has called on Nigerian university students to ensure they graduate not only with academic degrees but also as entrepreneurs. He emphasized the importance of acquiring a CAC certificate to facilitate immediate entry into entrepreneurship.
Magaji made this statement while addressing the press in Lafia, Nasarawa State, following a meeting with the State Governor, Abdullahi Sule. He underscored the necessity for students to acquire entrepreneurship skills alongside their academic qualifications, noting that the CAC certificate should be regarded as a second essential credential.
“The CAC certificate will equip graduates with the necessary tools to immediately access government interventions, bank loans, and other resources critical for starting their own businesses upon graduation,” Magaji explained.
Magaji further highlighted his visit to Nasarawa State, pointing out the state’s strategic economic location and its vibrant community. He announced that Governor Abdullahi Sule has agreed to the Commission’s request to establish a CAC office in the Maraba axis, an area bordering the Federal Capital Territory.
In alignment with the provisions of Section 8 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, the Nasarawa State Government has allocated land for the construction of a CAC office in Lafia. Magaji noted that this development would not only strengthen the Commission’s presence but also contribute to the improvement of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Governor Abdullahi Sule, speaking on the collaboration between the state government and the CAC, emphasized the importance of formalizing unregistered businesses and engaging the state’s growing youth population productively. He also highlighted efforts to promote entrepreneurship, particularly among retired civil servants who are admitted to the Vocational Study Academy to continue contributing to the state’s economy.
Governor Sule revealed that since taking office in 2019, he has signed over 8,000 certificates of occupancy but lamented the lack of corresponding benefits for the state due to non-remittance of taxes by certificate holders. He called for greater collaboration with the CAC to reverse this trend and enhance revenue generation.
The Governor also commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, a young and accomplished Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as the Registrar-General of the CAC.
Accompanying the Registrar-General on the visit were Dorothy EzeOkonkwo, Personal Assistant New Media and Public Relations; Sani Idris Lere, Protocol Officer to the RG; Mohammed Habib, Intergovernmental Affairs Officer; and Suleiman Mohammed, Zonal Head of the CAC Nasarawa State Office.
