By Godswill Michael
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will on Thursday host an investor clinic in Abuja to educate investors and beneficiaries on how to recover unclaimed funds and inherited investments in the Nigerian capital market.
The one-day programme, titled “Probate and Unclaimed Monies Awareness and Investor Clinic,” is part of a nationwide awareness campaign being implemented by the Commission in collaboration with Meristem Registrars and Probate Services Limited to enhance investor protection, improve financial literacy, and boost confidence in the capital market.
SEC Director-General, Dr. Emomotimi Agama, said the initiative is designed to help investors and beneficiaries understand the procedures for recovering investments due to them while reinforcing public trust in Nigeria’s capital market.
“Investor protection remains at the heart of the Commission’s mandate. Through this awareness campaign and Investor Clinic, we are bringing regulators and market operators together to help investors and beneficiaries understand the claims process, recover investments due to them, and strengthen public confidence in the Nigerian capital market,” Agama said.
The Commission noted that many investors and beneficiaries across the country are unaware that they may be entitled to unclaimed funds arising from mergers, acquisitions, return monies, or inherited investments belonging to deceased relatives because they are unfamiliar with the documentation and claims procedures.
According to the SEC, the investor clinic will bring together representatives of key institutions involved in investor protection, estate administration, and capital market operations to provide educational sessions and practical guidance on recovering unclaimed investments.
Participants will also receive one-on-one support from SEC officials, registrars, and other capital market professionals on issues relating to unclaimed investments, share ownership, probate, share transmission, and beneficiary claims.
The Commission invited investors with outstanding capital market claims, shareholders with unclaimed monies resulting from mergers, acquisitions, or unallotted securities, beneficiaries of deceased investors, executors and administrators of estates, legal practitioners, investment advisers, and prospective investors to attend the free programme.
SEC advised participants to come with relevant documents where available, including valid means of identification, share certificates, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) statements, dividend warrants, bank account details, probate or letters of administration, death certificates, and other proof of ownership. It added that those without complete documentation would still receive guidance on the steps required to regularise their claims.
The Commission also urged members of the public to transact only through SEC-registered market operators, warning that legitimate claims should never be processed outside approved channels.
It reaffirmed its commitment to promoting a fair, transparent, and inclusive capital market where investors are well-informed, their rights are protected, and confidence in the market continues to grow.