How do I create a business?
Before DESSAA can issue you permits, link signage assets to your account, or send you invoices, you first need to register your business (or company, or institution) on CSAMP. This guide walks you through every single step — just follow along in order and you can't go wrong.
Step 1: Open "My Businesses"
Log in to your CSAMP account. Look at the menu on the left side of your screen (on a phone, tap the ☰ menu icon at the top first to open it), and click Businesses.
This takes you to the My Businesses page. If you haven't registered any business yet, this page will be empty — that's normal.
Step 2: Click "Add Business"
At the top-right of the My Businesses page, click the blue Add Business button.
A window (we call this a "modal") will pop up in the middle of your screen, titled "Add Business". Near the top of this window you'll see a thin progress bar with 3 segments — this fills in as you move through the 3 short steps below, so you always know how far along you are.
Step 3: Choose your sector
The first question asks: "What sector does this business belong to?" Below it you'll see a grid of clickable cards, laid out two per row, each with a small icon, a bold name, and a short explanation underneath. Read each one carefully and click the card that best matches what your business does. For example:
- If you run a shop, hotel, restaurant, or any business that advertises its own goods or services → choose the card that says "1st Party Advertising".
- If your business is an advertising agency or signage company that puts up signs for other people → choose "3rd Party Advertising".
Don't worry too much — this is just for classification. If you're really not sure, pick the option whose description sounds closest to your business.
Step 4: Choose your sub-sector
After picking a sector, the same window updates to show a second screen — a small link with a "←" back-arrow and your chosen sector's name sits at the top-left (use it if you picked the wrong sector and want to go back), followed by a grid of small buttons, each naming a more specific category (for example: Hotel, Shop, Restaurant, Bakery, and so on). Click the one that matches your business best. If none of them match exactly, look for a button labelled "Others" — it's usually the last one in the grid.
Step 5: Fill in your business details
You'll now see a form. Fill in every box:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Business name | The full name of your business, e.g. "ABC Ltd" |
| Contact email | An email address DESSAA can reach you on |
| Contact phone | A working phone number, e.g. +234... |
| RC / BN number | Your CAC registration number, if you have one (optional) |
| Tax ID | Your business's Tax Identification Number, if you have one (optional) |
Fields marked optional can be left blank if you don't have that information yet — every other field must be filled in before you can continue.
Step 6: Fill in the business address
Scroll down a little further to the "Location Address" section on the same form:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Street Address | The physical address of your business, e.g. "12 Townhall Road" |
| Landmark | A nearby landmark to help people find the place, e.g. "Opposite First Bank" (optional) |
| LGA | Click the dropdown and select your Local Government Area |
| Zone | Click the dropdown and select your zone — this list only appears after you've picked an LGA |
Step 7: Click "Register"
Once every field is filled in correctly, click the blue Register button at the bottom-right of the form.
- If anything is missing or incorrect, you'll see a small red message under that field — fix it and click Register again.
- If everything goes through, the window will close automatically and you'll see your new business appear at the top of your My Businesses list, along with a green success message near the top of the page.
Congratulations — your business is now registered! You can now add branches to it and, once DESSAA links signage assets to it, apply for permits and receive invoices.