Most rejections happen at the screening stage, before anyone reads your plan. This is the complete pre-application checklist for a Nigerian business, with realistic timelines.
| Document | Where | Typical time | Needed for |
| CAC registration (business name or Ltd) | CAC portal / agent | 1–7 days | Almost everything |
| TIN (tax identification number) | FIRS / JTB; often issued with CAC | Same day – 1 week | Grants, loans, bank account |
| Business bank account | Any commercial bank | 1–3 days | All funding |
| BVN and NIN | Bank / NIMC | Already have | All funding |
| SMEDAN UIN | SMEDAN portal, free | Minutes | Federal MSME schemes |
| SCUML certificate | EFCC portal (free) | 1–3 weeks | Some bank loans, NGOs |
| Sector licence (NAFDAC, SON, CBN, etc.) | Regulator | Weeks–months | Food, cosmetics, fintech |
| Bank statements, 6–12 months | Your bank app | Minutes | Loans, larger grants |
| Business plan + 3-year financials | GrantPilot generator | 1 hour | Everything |
| Founder CV | CV builder | 15 minutes | Grants, accelerators |
| Evidence of traction (photos, receipts, letters) | You | Ongoing | Scoring |
Keep scanned PDFs of all of these in one folder named clearly (e.g. “CAC-Certificate-KintaAfrica.pdf”). When a window opens you will apply in an afternoon while others are still queuing at the CAC. Then check what is open on the Nigeria funding page.
Put this into practice
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