This situation is very common in Nigeria, especially for shares bought before everything moved to electronic (CSCS). The good thing is: those shares are not lost — but recovering them requires a structured process.
Let’s break it down properly.
🔍 Step 1: Confirm the company status
Your friend bought shares in Honeywell Flour Mills.
Important update:
Honeywell was acquired by Flour Mills of Nigeria
It has been delisted from NGX
👉 Meaning:
The shares didn’t disappear
They were either:
Converted during acquisition OR
Still held but inactive/unclaimed
🧭 Step 2: Identify what your friend actually has
Since it was bought manually (paper era), your friend may have:
Share certificate (very important)
Allotment letter
Old CSCS statement (if later dematerialized)
Broker receipt
👉 If he has NONE of these, recovery becomes harder but still possible
🏦 Step 3: Contact the Registrar (THIS IS CRITICAL)
Every Nigerian company has a registrar that manages shareholder records.
For Honeywell, the likely registrar is:
👉 Meristem Registrars
Your friend should:
✔️ Do this:
Write/email the registrar
Request:
Shareholding verification
Statement of account
Dividend status
Provide:
Full name used in 2009
Possible address used then
Phone number/email
Approximate number of shares (16,000 units)
💰 Step 4: Recover Unclaimed Dividends
If dividends were not collected, they are likely:
👉 Sitting with:
Registrar OR
Central Securities Clearing System (if dematerialized)
Action:
Fill E-dividend mandate form
Submit to registrar or bank
This will:
Link shares to bank account
Pay all outstanding dividends
📊 Step 5: If shares were never digitized (very common)
Then your friend must do:
🔁 Dematerialization process
Convert paper shares → CSCS electronic form
Steps:
Open account with a stockbroker (e.g. Meristem, ARM, etc.)
Submit:
Share certificate
Valid ID
Broker sends to CSCS
Shares become visible in trading account
⚠️ Step 6: If documents are missing
Then it becomes a “lost certificate recovery” case
He will need:
Sworn affidavit (court)
Police report
Indemnity form from registrar
👉 This takes time but is still doable
🧠 Important Reality Check
Don’t assume the shares are still exactly “16,000 units of value”
Because:
Company restructuring may have happened
Shares may have been converted to FMN shares or cash
Dividends may be sitting unclaimed for years
✅ Clean Action Plan (Follow in order)
Contact Meristem Registrars
Request shareholder verification
Confirm:
Share status (active, converted, or claimed)
Dividend history
If paper shares exist → dematerialize
Set up E-dividend mandate
💡 My Advice (Based on your experience level)
Since you already understand investments:
👉 Help your friend do this:
Use a reputable broker (Meristem / ARM / Stanbic IBTC)
Let them handle registrar follow-up
This speeds things up massively.

This is a very important question—and you’re not alone. Many people who bought shares through bank branches (like Fidelity Bank Plc) face this same issue.
Right now, the truth is: 👉 You likely own the shares, but you don’t yet have full control or visibility.
Let me guide you step-by-step in simple terms.
🔑 First: Understand where your shares are
When you bought shares at the bank:
The shares are kept in a system called Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS)
This is like a bank vault for shares in Nigeria
👉 So your shares are not lost—they are stored electronically.
📌 Why you cannot track it yet
Because you probably don’t have direct access to:
Your CSCS account (CHN number)
A stockbroker platform/app
The bank only helped you buy, not manage.
✅ What “full possession” really means
To truly control your shares, you need:
Your CHN (Clearing House Number)
A stockbroker account
Access to monitor (app or statement)
🛠️ Step-by-step: What you should do now
1. Go back to the Fidelity Bank branch (or contact them)
Ask them clearly:
“Please give me my CSCS CHN number and the stockbroker used for my share purchase.”
You need:
Your CHN
Name of the broker that executed the trade
2. Open an account with a stockbroker
Examples in Nigeria:
Meristem Securities
CardinalStone Securities
ARM Securities
Tell them:
“I already bought shares through Fidelity Bank, I want to link and manage my CSCS account.”
3. Link your CSCS to the broker
The broker will:
Connect your CHN to their platform
Allow you to:
See your shares
Sell anytime
Receive dividends properly
4. Request your CSCS statement
Very important:
Ask for:
“My CSCS statement of account”
This will show:
All shares you own
Quantity
Companies
5. Set up e-dividend (so you receive money directly)
Register for e-dividend with your bank so that:
Dividends go straight to your account
No missing payments
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
Thinking bank = full investment platform ❌
Not collecting CHN ❌
Not linking to a broker ❌
🧠 Simple analogy
Right now:
You bought land (shares)
But you don’t have the documents (CHN + broker access)
👉 What we’re doing is helping you collect your ownership papers and control
🚨 Important check
If you bought shares long ago and:
Don’t know CHN
Don’t know broker
👉 Don’t worry—this can still be traced using:
Your name
Phone number
Bank details
👍 Final summary
To track and control your shares:
Get your CHN from Fidelity Bank
Open account with a stockbroker
Link your shares
Start monitoring through app or CSCS statement

Normally, dematerialization of paper share certificates into a Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) account should take between 2 weeks to 8 weeks — not several months.
Since you submitted your request to InvestNaija since October last year, and it’s now many months later, this is not normal and something is likely delaying the process.
Normal Timeline (Nigeria)
Typical dematerialization process:
Submit dematerialization form — Day 1
Stockbroker verifies documents — 3–7 days
Sent to Registrar — 1–3 weeks
Registrar processes — 1–4 weeks
Shares credited to CSCS — Immediately after approval
👉 Total normal time: 2–8 weeks
Why Yours May Be Delayed
Common reasons include:
1. Registrar Delay
Some registrars are slow, especially if:
Certificate is very old
Company has merged or changed name
Records need verification
2. Name Mismatch
If:
Name on certificate ≠ CSCS name
Signature mismatch
Missing middle name
This can cause long delays.
3. Missing Documents
They may need:
Valid ID
Passport photograph
Signature verification
Bank details
4. Stockbroker Did Not Submit
This happens sometimes (unfortunately).
What You Should Do Now (Important)
Since it’s been since October, take these steps:
Step 1 — Contact InvestNaija Immediately
Ask them:
Has it been submitted to registrar?
Which registrar is handling it?
What is the status?
Step 2 — Request These Details
Ask for:
Registrar name
Submission date
Reference number
Step 3 — Escalate If Necessary
If no response:
Email them
Call them
Send WhatsApp (if available)
Red Flag 🚩
Anything beyond 3 months is already too long.
Since yours is over 6 months, it must be followed up immediately.
My Advice (Based on Experience)
Be polite but firm. Say:
“I submitted since October”
“Please provide status”
“Please confirm registrar submission”
This usually speeds things up.