By a public notice dated 19 April 2018, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) notified the public of the removal of the requirement for proficiency certificate.

This means that members of the public will no longer be required to submit Proficiency Certificates from organizations such as Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Council of Legal Education (CLE), etc.

While this initiative promotes the Ease of Doing Business policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria, assuring Nigerians and the entire world that professional services by Nigerian companies are rendered by professionals with the requisite qualifications or licences is critical.

This is why we suggest that measures need to be put in place to ensure that unqualified persons do not end up hurting both the consumer market and the professional services market. Senator Iyere Ihenyen, Lead Partner at Infusion Lawyers, thinks CAC’s decision is a welcome idea but advises professional bodies to step up self-regulation. According to Mr Ihenyen, “Rather than relying on CAC to keep stopping potential entrepreneurs from engaging in businesses of their choice, I think professional bodies have a role to play. They need to step up self-regulation. It’s vital.”