How can I buy shares separately for myself, my younger brothers and my fiancé?

Yes, you can buy shares separately for yourself, your younger brothers and your fiancé. The cleanest way is to have the investments recorded in each person’s name, using separate accounts. If any of your brothers are minors, ask for a minor’s account managed by an eligible adult.

Think of it this way: Mama Ngozi buys three plots of land, one for herself and two as gifts. If all the documents carry only her name, saying “this one belongs to my brother” does not give him the same clear ownership as having the right documents in place.

Shares also need clear ownership records. Buying everything in your account and dividing it in a notebook is not the same as each person owning their shares separately.

Assuming you mean shares listed on the Nigerian Exchange, here is how to go about it.

1. Choose a registered stockbroker.

A stockbroker is the firm that buys and sells shares on your instructions. Check its registration through the Securities and Exchange Commission Nigeria’s official website, and confirm its access to the Nigerian Exchange, NGX.

Before opening accounts, ask about charges, minimum funding, minor accounts and whether you can fund accounts belonging to family members. Do not assume every investment app offers these services.

2. Open your own account and separate accounts for the adults.

Your adult brothers and your fiancé should take part in opening their accounts, provide their own details and complete the broker’s identity checks. You can offer the money as a gift, subject to the broker’s funding rules.

Brokers commonly request identification, bank details, a photograph, a signature and information such as BVN or NIN. Ask for the current checklist rather than assuming the requirements are identical everywhere.

If someone already owns Nigerian shares, tell the broker and provide their existing investor details before creating a new account.

3. Ask specifically about any brother who is under 18.

Tell the broker his age and ask whether it offers a minor or guardian account. Confirm whose name the shares will be recorded in, who can manage them, what documents are needed and how control passes to him when he becomes an adult.

Being his older sibling does not automatically mean you qualify to act as his guardian. The broker must explain the arrangement it accepts.

4. Confirm where the shares will be held.

For the usual arrangement for directly held NGX shares, CSCS, the Central Securities Clearing System, keeps the electronic share records. The CHN, or Clearing House Number, identifies the investor in that system.

Each person should have their own investor identity. If a platform uses a different custody arrangement, ask clearly how it records each person’s ownership and how they can obtain a statement of their holdings.

5. Fund the accounts and place the purchases.

Get the broker’s approved payment instructions first. Some firms may restrict payments coming from someone other than the account holder, so ask before transferring money into your brothers’ or fiancé’s accounts.

Once funding is confirmed, choose the company, the number of shares and the price you are willing to pay. Check the total cost, including charges. After the purchase, keep the trade confirmation and check the holding statement.

Also ask how to register each person’s bank details for e-dividends. A dividend is money a company may share with its shareholders from profits. It is not guaranteed. When someone wants to sell, they give the broker a sell instruction; the selling price may be higher or lower than the purchase price.

One point about your fiancé: decide whether this is a gift or money you still want to own. If the shares are bought and properly registered in your fiancé’s name as a gift, treat them as your fiancé’s property, not something you can automatically take back.

Finally, you do not need to wait for August or any special month. Start when the accounts are properly arranged and the money is available. Do not use school fees, emergency money or money needed soon, because share prices can fall. Separate accounts keep ownership clear, but they do not remove investment risk.

Your first message to a broker can be this:

“I want to buy Nigerian shares separately for myself, my younger brothers and my fiancé. My brothers are aged and . Please send me your requirements for adult and minor accounts, your charges, your rules on funding another person’s account, and how each person’s shares will be held.”

That will help you put the ownership right before you start buying.