AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Check the SEC's non-mandated shareholders list, then contact the registrar of each company you held. A registrar will usually pay unclaimed dividends once you complete an e-dividend mandate in your BVN name, which you can do online through the NIBSS self-service portal the SEC named in 2024. If you have lost track of the shares themselves, CSCS can run a search for you through a broker.
Nigeria has a large pile of unpaid dividends. BusinessDay reported in December 2022 that the SEC put unclaimed dividends at about ₦177 billion at December 2021, up from ₦168 billion in 2020. Much of it belongs to shareholders who bought in the public offers of the 2000s, moved house or moved abroad, and never set up electronic payment. If that sounds like you or a parent, the money can usually still be claimed.
Step one: find out what you hold
- SEC non-mandated list. The SEC's 2024 e-dividend circular points to a list of non-mandated shareholders on the SEC e-portal. Search your name, and any earlier names.
- Old paperwork. Share certificates, allotment letters, dividend warrants and old broker statements tell you which companies and registrars to contact.
- Registrar lists. Some companies publish unclaimed dividend lists. Dangote Cement's share information page, for example, links lists for 2019 to 2025 and names its registrar.
- CSCS search. CSCS's FAQ says if you have lost track of your shares you can request a search covering brokers and registrars, at a CSCS office in Lagos or Abuja with valid ID, or through a stockbroker. From Ireland, the broker route is the practical one.
Step two: claim from the registrar
BusinessDay's explainer sets out the usual steps: get the registrar's e-dividend mandate form, complete it with your name, BVN, account number and contact details, have it signed by your bank, and return it to the registrar or your broker. The SEC's 2024 circular adds a self-service route through the NIBSS e-dividend portal, and says you can also approach the registrar or your bank to collect unclaimed dividends and receive future ones electronically.
- Write to the registrar (email is usually fine) with your full name as on the shareholding, old and new addresses, CHN if you have one, and the companies concerned.
- Ask for a statement of unclaimed dividends and the documents they need.
- Complete the e-mandate, online if possible.
- Send copies of ID and any change-of-name evidence.
- Ask when payment will be made and into which account.
Be careful with recovery agents
Some people offer to recover unclaimed dividends for a share of the money or a fee paid upfront. You can make the claim yourself with the registrar, usually by email and the online mandate. If you do use someone, check that they are registered on the SEC's directory, never send money to a personal account, and ask the registrar directly what its own charges are, if any.
Old dividends and the government fund
BusinessDay notes that the Finance Act 2020 lets the Federal Government borrow dividends that have been unclaimed for six years or more from the date of declaration. That does not, from what the article describes, extinguish your claim, but it can change who you claim from. Ask the registrar whether any of your old dividends have been transferred and how to claim them back.
Claiming for a parent who has died
Shares and dividends of a deceased shareholder pass to the estate. The registrar will ask for the grant of probate or letters of administration before transmitting the shares or paying the dividends. TheNigeriaLawyer reported in 2019 on an SEC draft framework that would cut transmission timelines and set fees as a percentage of the value; we could not confirm whether that draft became final, so ask the registrar for its current fee. See letters of administration from Ireland.
Common blocks
| Problem | What usually fixes it |
|---|---|
| Name on shares differs from BVN | Change-of-name evidence, such as a marriage certificate or sworn declaration |
| Shares never moved into CSCS | Ask the registrar or a broker about putting the holding into your CSCS account |
| No Nigerian bank account | Open one first; the mandate needs a Nigerian account in your BVN name |
| Registrar does not reply | Escalate in writing, copying the company's investor relations team |
Irish tax on what you recover
Old dividends recovered now are still dividends. Revenue treats someone resident and domiciled in Ireland as chargeable on worldwide income; ask Revenue how to report dividends that relate to earlier years. Keep the registrar's statement showing the gross amount, tax and dates. Information, not advice.
Where Pryme fits
Recovered dividends are paid in naira into a Nigerian account. A Pryme account holds naira and euro, so you can decide later whether to convert with Swap; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. To keep future dividends flowing, read collecting NGX dividends from Ireland.
Questions people ask
How do I check for unclaimed dividends in Nigeria?
Search the SEC's non-mandated shareholders list on its e-portal and check registrars' published unclaimed lists.
Can I claim unclaimed dividends from abroad?
Yes. Contact the registrar, complete an e-dividend mandate (online through the NIBSS portal if possible) and send ID and any change-of-name evidence.
What if I have lost my share certificates?
Ask a stockbroker to request a CSCS search, which covers brokers and registrars, and ask the registrar what it needs to confirm your holding.
Can I claim my late father's dividends?
Yes, through the estate. The registrar will ask for probate or letters of administration.
Sources
- Explainer: steps for shareholders to get unclaimed dividends, BusinessDay (7 Dec 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- Revamped E-Dividend Mandate Management System Portal, SEC Nigeria (2 Jul 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- FAQs, CSCS · accessed Oct 2026
- Share information, Dangote Cement · accessed Oct 2026
- Tax residence, Revenue (24 Nov 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.