How do I trace my shares I bought years ago

What you’re describing is quite common—especially with older Nigerian shareholdings from the mid-2000s. There are a few very specific reasons why dividends stopped, and you can still recover what belongs to you.

Let’s break this down properly.

🔍 Why Your Dividends Stopped

1. Company May Have Stopped Paying Dividends

Not all companies pay dividends every year.

Possible reasons:

Poor financial performance

Business restructuring

High debt or losses

👉 Some companies simply survive but don’t reward shareholders anymore.

2. Your Dividends May Be “Unclaimed”

In Nigeria, this is extremely common.

Before e-dividend systems:

Dividends were sent as physical warrants (cheques)

Many investors never received or cashed them

👉 Those dividends are now sitting as unclaimed funds.

3. You Are Not Registered for E-Dividend

If you didn’t update your details:

Bank account not linked

Address outdated

You won’t receive payments even if dividends are declared.

4. The Company May Have Changed Structure

Some companies:

Merged

Changed name

Were acquired

Got delisted from the exchange

👉 Your shares may still exist—but under a different identity.

5. Registrar Issues (Very Important)

Every company uses a registrar to manage shareholder records.

If your records are not updated:

You won’t receive dividends

You may even lose track of your holdings

🛠️ What You Should Do Now (Step-by-Step)

✅ Step 1: Identify the Company Clearly

You need:

Full company name

Share certificate (if available)

CSCS statement (if dematerialized)

✅ Step 2: Check If the Company Still Pays Dividends

For example:

Dangote Cement Plc → pays regularly

Some oil/gas or smaller firms → may have stopped

✅ Step 3: Contact the Registrar

This is the most important step

Examples:

First Registrars and Investor Services

Meristem Registrars

CardinalStone Registrars

Tell them:

“I bought shares in 2006 and have not received dividends since 2007.”

They will:

Check your records

Tell you if dividends are unclaimed

Guide you on recovery

✅ Step 4: Fill E-Dividend Mandate Form

This links your:

Bank account

BVN

Shareholder account

👉 After this, dividends go straight to your bank.

✅ Step 5: Claim Unclaimed Dividends

You may be entitled to:

Many years of unpaid dividends

👉 This can be significant money depending on the company.

⚠️ Important Warning

In Nigeria:

Unclaimed dividends can eventually be moved to a government trust fund if left too long

So don’t delay

🧠 Reality Check

From 2006 till now (~20 years):

There are only 3 likely outcomes:

The company stopped paying dividends

Your dividends are sitting unclaimed

Your records are incomplete or outdated

🎯 What I Need From You (So I Can Help You Properly)

Tell me:

The name of the company you bought in 2006

I’ll:

Check if they are still active

Confirm if they still pay dividends

Guide you on exactly where your money is

This is something we can trace and possibly recover step-by-step.

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