CAC Announces Settlement Ending Two-Decade KPMG Nigeria Dispute

The Corporate Affairs Commission said it brokered and recorded a settlement on 19 February 2026 that ended a dispute spanning more than 20 years between KPMG Professional Services and KPMG Nigeria. The CAC statement, signed by its management in Abuja, said the parties had agreed to withdraw pending suits and appeals, including an appeal at the Supreme Court under Appeal No. SC/CV/776/2025 and a related Federal High Court case under Suit No. FHC/L/CS/2213/2025.

The commission said the intervention was led by Registrar‑General and CEO Hussaini Magaji and was carried out under statutory powers. “The CAC said the intervention was carried out pursuant to powers granted under Section 8 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020,” the statement said, framing the engagements as a regulatory exercise rather than private mediation.

The CAC described the mechanics of the outcome in blunt terms. “Following engagements convened by the commission, both parties reached a mutually acceptable settlement. They also agreed to withdraw all pending suits and appeals arising from the dispute,” it said. The statement also identified how the competing businesses operate in practice, naming KPMG Audit, KPMG Tax Consultants, and KPMG Consulting as the practices recognised in the matter.

The commission positioned the resolution as a governance win for Nigeria’s corporate registry. “The CAC reiterated its commitment to a transparent and investor‑friendly corporate registry system,” the statement said, and added that the settlement would “strengthen corporate stability and boost investor confidence in Nigeria’s business environment.” Those lines point to the CAC’s intent to show Section 8 interventions can resolve entrenched brand and control conflicts without prolonged court battles.

The CAC’s announcement did not publish the text of any settlement deed, nor did it state whether the agreed withdrawals have yet been filed and entered on court dockets. The statement records the parties’ agreement to withdraw the Supreme Court appeal SC/CV/776/2025 and the Federal High Court suit FHC/L/CS/2213/2025, but it does not disclose commercial or licensing terms, nor include comments from KPMG Professional Services, KPMG Nigeria, or KPMG International.

For KPMG partners and staff tracking governance, the immediate implications are procedural: watch for formal withdrawal notices in the Supreme Court and Federal High Court records and for any updated corporate filings recorded by the CAC that reflect the settlement. The CAC’s invocation of Section 8 and its public framing set a precedent for how Nigeria’s registrar may intervene in long-running intra-brand company disputes going forward.