You’re not alone — this happens to many Nigerians who bought shares years ago. The good news is your shares are NOT lost, even if:
You stopped receiving dividends
You misplaced your share certificate
It’s been over 10 years
Let me walk you through exactly what to do step-by-step 👇
First — Your Shares Are Still Yours
If you bought shares in:
Access Holdings Plc (formerly Access Bank)
DAAR Communications Plc (owners of African Independent Television (AIT))
Your shares are recorded in:
Registrar records
Or Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS)
So even if certificate is lost, you can recover everything.
Why You Stopped Receiving Dividends
Most likely reasons:
You didn’t complete E-Dividend registration
Your address changed
Registrar couldn’t reach you
Dividends moved to Unclaimed Dividend Account
Don’t worry — you can still claim them (even after 10 years).
Step-By-Step: What You Should Do Now
Step 1 — Contact the Registrars
Every company has a registrar managing shareholder records.
For Access Holdings
Registrar:
Coronation Registrars Limited
For DAAR Communications
Registrar:
Africa Prudential Plc
Contact them and tell them:
“I bought shares over 10 years ago, lost my certificate, and stopped receiving dividends. I want to update my records and claim my dividends.”
Step 2 — Request These Things
Tell them you want:
Share verification
Lost certificate replacement
Unclaimed dividend claim
E-Dividend registration
Step 3 — Documents You’ll Need
Usually:
Valid ID (NIN / Driver’s License / Passport)
Passport photograph
Bank account details
Old address (if you remember)
Phone number used then (if possible)
Step 4 — Fill E-Dividend Form
This ensures:
Dividends go directly to your bank
No more lost dividend letters
Very Important (Good News)
Even if you never claimed dividends for 10 years:
You can still recover:
All past dividends
Bonus shares (if any)
Rights issues (if any)
One More Thing — Your Shares May Have Grown
For example:
Access Holdings Plc has issued bonus shares multiple times
Your original shares may now be more than you bought
You might be surprised how much you now own.
Faster Option (Recommended)
You can also go through:
Your stockbroker (if you remember who you used)
Or any new stockbroker to help trace
They can check through:
Nigerian Exchange Group
Central Securities Clearing System