image: fifthperson.com

This year I decided to stop leaving money on the table, letting my stocks dividends pass me. I had moved from my far-from-everywhere house in Abule-Egba to close-to-everywhere-I-go Gbadaga. But I needed to be sure my shares dividend warrants will get to me and that the ones I have not been receiving (like Total Nigeria PLC and others I can't remember their names) will be (reissued and) paid into my bank account.

So I did the e-Dividend mandate process. In fact, I bought small units of shares in all the companies I have ever considered owning shares in but don't yet own, so that I can do the e-Dividend mandate for them all at once. Later, I learned that I could have saved myself some stress and funds, that once I buy into a new company that is managed by a registrar that already has my details, I should just phone or email them and ask they extend the e-dividend mandate to cover the new/additional company.

Unfortunately, submitting e-dividend mandates didn't fix the problem. Some companies still kept sending me posted dividend warrants while a few started paying directly into my account. In the end, I had to take the following steps to get my dividends consistently paid into my bank account (and reclaim unclaimed dividends):

1. Do the e-Dividends mandate (you can get the forms directly from this SEC page and below is a comprehensive table of registrars and the companies/securities they service)
2. Email the registrars about the status of your e-dividend mandate (best to give a week or a month gap between the submission and this email query)
3. Some will ask for signature specimen; go through your broker to provide them the signature specimen
4. Some will ask for some additional details from you or that you fill a form and scan back the filled form to them. One even asked me to physically submit a form to their office

And those were the steps I had to go through to permanently fix my unpaid dividend and e-dividend problems.

Below is the list of companies and their respective registrars.

S/N	Registrar	Company
1	Africa Prudential Registrars	A & G INSURANCE PLC
2	Africa Prudential Registrars	A.R.M LIFE PLC
3	Africa Prudential Registrars	ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC
4	Africa Prudential Registrars	ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNMENT BOND
5	Africa Prudential Registrars	AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC
6	Africa Prudential Registrars	AFRILAND PROPERTIES PLC
7	Africa Prudential Registrars	BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCTS PLC
8	Africa Prudential Registrars	BENUE STATE GOVERNMENT BOND
9	Africa Prudential Registrars	BUA GROUP
10	Africa Prudential Registrars	CAP PLC
11	Africa Prudential Registrars	CAPPA AND D'ALBERTO PLC
12	Africa Prudential Registrars	CEMENT COY OF NORTHERN NIG. PLC
13	Africa Prudential Registrars	CHAMPION BREWERIES PLC
14	Africa Prudential Registrars	COMPUTERWAREHOUSE GROUP
15	Africa Prudential Registrars	CSCS PLC
16	Africa Prudential Registrars	EBONYI STATE GOVERNMENT BOND
17	Africa Prudential Registrars	GOLDEN CAPITAL PLC
18	Africa Prudential Registrars	INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC
19	Africa Prudential Registrars	INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC
20	Africa Prudential Registrars	INVESTMENT & ALLIED ASSURANCE PLC
21	Africa Prudential Registrars	JAIZ BANK PLC
22	Africa Prudential Registrars	KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT BOND
23	Africa Prudential Registrars	MIXTA REAL ESTATE PLC (formerly ARM Properties Plc)
24	Africa Prudential Registrars	NEM INSURANCE PLC
25	Africa Prudential Registrars	NEXANS KABLEMETAL NIG. PLC
26	Africa Prudential Registrars	OMOLUABI SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC
27	Africa Prudential Registrars	P.S MANDRIDES PLC
28	Africa Prudential Registrars	PERSONAL TRUST & SAVINGS LTD
29	Africa Prudential Registrars	PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIG. PLC
30	Africa Prudential Registrars	PREMIER BREWERIES PLC
31	Africa Prudential Registrars	RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC
32	Africa Prudential Registrars	ROADS NIGERIA PLC
33	Africa Prudential Registrars	SCOA NIGERIA PLC
34	Africa Prudential Registrars	THE LA CASERA CORPORATE BOND
35	Africa Prudential Registrars	TOWER BOND
36	Africa Prudential Registrars	TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC
37	Africa Prudential Registrars	TRANSCORP PLC
38	Africa Prudential Registrars	UAC PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PLC
39	Africa Prudential Registrars	UACN Plc
40	Africa Prudential Registrars	UBA BALANCED FUND
41	Africa Prudential Registrars	UBA BOND FUND
42	Africa Prudential Registrars	UBA CAPITAL PLC
43	Africa Prudential Registrars	UBA EQUITY FUND
44	Africa Prudential Registrars	UBA MONEY MARKET FUND
45	Africa Prudential Registrars	UNIC PLC
46	Africa Prudential Registrars	UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC
47	Africa Prudential Registrars	UTC NIGERIA PLC
48	Africa Prudential Registrars	WEST AFRICAN GLASS IND PLC
49	All Crowns Registrar	Greif Nigeria
50	Apel capital	ABACUS MONEY MARKET
51	Apel capital	ANINO INT’L PLC
52	Apel capital	BREWERIES PLC
53	Apel capital	CHAPEL HILL DENHAM
54	Apel capital	EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC
55	Apel capital	FIRST ALUMINUM PLC
56	Apel capital	FUND
57	Apel capital	INNOVATION PLC
58	Apel capital	INTERLINKED
59	Apel capital	INTERNATIONAL
60	Apel capital	LASACO ASSURANCE
61	Apel capital	LEAD UNIT TRUST SCHEME
62	Apel capital	MASS TELECOM
63	Apel capital	MBA MUTUAL TRUST
64	Apel capital	MONEY MARKET FUND
65	Apel capital	NCR (NIGERIA) PLC
66	Apel capital	NEM INSURANCE PLC
67	Apel capital	PARAMOUNT EQUITY
68	Apel capital	PHARMA DEKO PLC
69	Apel capital	PLC
70	Apel capital	SCHEME
71	Apel capital	TECHNOLOGIES PLC
72	Apel capital	THE INITIATES PLC
73	Atlas Registrars	Flour Mills
74	Atlas Registrars	Northern Nigeria Flour Mills
75	CardinalStone Registrars	ACORN PET. PLC
76	CardinalStone Registrars	AFRIK PHARMACEUTICALS PLC
77	CardinalStone Registrars	AG HOMES SAVINGS & LOANS
78	CardinalStone Registrars	AG LEVENTIS
79	CardinalStone Registrars	ARBICO PLC
80	CardinalStone Registrars	ASHAKACEM PLC
81	CardinalStone Registrars	BANKERS WAREHOUSE
82	CardinalStone Registrars	BETA GLASS
83	CardinalStone Registrars	CAPITAL HOTEL PLC
84	CardinalStone Registrars	ELLAH LAKES
85	CardinalStone Registrars	EVANS MED PLC
86	CardinalStone Registrars	FCMB BOND
87	CardinalStone Registrars	FCMB GROUP PLC
88	CardinalStone Registrars	FIDSON BOND
89	CardinalStone Registrars	G. CAPPA PLC
90	CardinalStone Registrars	GUINEA PLC
91	CardinalStone Registrars	IMB ENERGY MASTER FUND
92	CardinalStone Registrars	JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC
93	CardinalStone Registrars	KOGI SAVINGS & LOAN LTD
94	CardinalStone Registrars	LAFARGE AFRICA PLC
95	CardinalStone Registrars	LAFARGE BOND
96	CardinalStone Registrars	LAW UNION & ROCK PLC
97	CardinalStone Registrars	LEGACY FUND
98	CardinalStone Registrars	LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC
99	CardinalStone Registrars	MORISON PLC
100	CardinalStone Registrars	MRS OIL PLC
101	CardinalStone Registrars	N.G.C PLC
102	CardinalStone Registrars	NAHCO BOND
103	CardinalStone Registrars	NAHCO PLC
104	CardinalStone Registrars	NEWPAK PLC
105	CardinalStone Registrars	NGC STERILE
106	CardinalStone Registrars	NPF MICROFINANCE BANK
107	CardinalStone Registrars	NULEC INDUSTRIES PLC
108	CardinalStone Registrars	OKOMU OIL PALM PLC
109	CardinalStone Registrars	PREMIER PAINT PLC
110	CardinalStone Registrars	REAN PLC
111	CardinalStone Registrars	SKYE BANK PLC
112	CardinalStone Registrars	TOTAL NIG. PLC
113	CardinalStone Registrars	TRANEX PLC
114	CardinalStone Registrars	WOMEN INVESTMENT FUND
115	Centurion Registrars	C&I Leasing
116	Centurion Registrars	Diamond Bank
117	Centurion Registrars	Linkage Assurance
118	Centurion Registrars	Nigeria Wire Industries
119	Centurion Registrars	Union Dicon Salt
120	Centurion Registrars	Vital Products
121	DataMax Registrars	AXA Mansard Insurance Plc.
122	DataMax Registrars	Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
123	DataMax Registrars	IFC - Naija Bond
124	DataMax Registrars	Imperial Mortgage Bank Limited
125	DataMax Registrars	Kogi State Bond
126	DataMax Registrars	Mainstream Energy Solutions
127	DataMax Registrars	Seplat Petroleum Development Plc.
128	DataMax Registrars	Sterling Assurance (Sterling Trust Fund)
129	EDC Registrars	Adswitch Plc
130	EDC Registrars	Afromedia Plc
131	EDC Registrars	Courteville Bus. Solutions Plc
132	EDC Registrars	Cutix Plc
133	EDC Registrars	Dangote Flour Mills Plc
134	EDC Registrars	Imo State Government Bond
135	EDC Registrars	Plateau State Government Bond
136	EDC Registrars	Resourcery Plc
137	First Registrars	(SERIES 1 BOND)
138	First Registrars	(SERIES 2 BOND)
139	First Registrars	ABC TRANSPORT PLC
140	First Registrars	ACAP CANARY GROWTH FUND
141	First Registrars	ACCUMULATED)
142	First Registrars	AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BOND
143	First Registrars	AFRICAN PAINTS PLC
144	First Registrars	ARM AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FUND
145	First Registrars	ARM ETHICAL FUND
146	First Registrars	ASO-SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC
147	First Registrars	ASSET & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMPANY
148	First Registrars	AUSTIN LAZ AND COMPANY PLC
149	First Registrars	BANK PHB PLC (NOW KEYSTONE BANK LIMITED)
150	First Registrars	BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT BOND
151	First Registrars	BCN PLC-MARKETING COMPANY
152	First Registrars	BOC GASES NIGERIA PLC
153	First Registrars	CADBURY NIGERIA PLC
154	First Registrars	CHAMS PLC
155	First Registrars	CORE INVESTMENT SCHEME (COINS)
156	First Registrars	CORE VALUE ACCOUNT (COVA)
157	First Registrars	COSTAIN WEST AFRICA PLC
158	First Registrars	CR SERVICES (CREDIT BUREAU) PLC
159	First Registrars	CROSS RIVERS STATE GOVT BOND
160	First Registrars	DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC
161	First Registrars	DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT & TRUST PLC
162	First Registrars	DELTA STATE GOVT BOND
163	First Registrars	DV BALANCED FUND
164	First Registrars	EDO STATE GOVT BOND
165	First Registrars	FAMAD NIGERIA PLC
166	First Registrars	FBN FIXED INCOME FUND
167	First Registrars	FBN HERITAGE FUND
168	First Registrars	FBN HOLDINGS PLC
169	First Registrars	FBN MONEY MARKET FUND
170	First Registrars	FBN NIGERIA EUROBOND (USD) FUND
171	First Registrars	FBN NIGERIA SMART BETA FUND
172	First Registrars	FIDELITY BANK PLC
173	First Registrars	FIDELITY BANK PLC BOND
174	First Registrars	FIXED RATE SUBORDINATED UNSECURED
175	First Registrars	FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC
176	First Registrars	FRIESLANDCAMPINA WAMCO NIGERIA PLC
177	First Registrars	FUND
178	First Registrars	HONEYWELL FLOUR MILLS PLC
179	First Registrars	INDORAMA ELEME PETROCHEMICALS COMPANY
180	First Registrars	ISSUANCE PROGRAMME N80 BILLION 4%
181	First Registrars	ISSUANCE PROGRAMME N87.5 BILLION 13.5%
182	First Registrars	JULI PLC
183	First Registrars	LAGOS STATE BOND 167.5 BILLION 2ND DEBT
184	First Registrars	LAGOS STATE BOND 167.5 BILLION 2ND DEBT
185	First Registrars	LEARN AFRICA PLC
186	First Registrars	LOTUS HALAL EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED
187	First Registrars	LTD(FUND)
188	First Registrars	NIGERIA POLICE MORTGAGE BANK PLC
189	First Registrars	NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC
190	First Registrars	NOTES BOND
191	First Registrars	NOTES BOND TRANCHE A & B
192	First Registrars	OANDO PLC
193	First Registrars	ONDO STATE GOVT BOND
194	First Registrars	OYO STATE GOVT BOND
195	First Registrars	PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT CO.PLC
196	First Registrars	PLC
197	First Registrars	PRESCO PLC
198	First Registrars	PRESTIGE ASSURANCE PLC
199	First Registrars	PZ-CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC
200	First Registrars	RAK UNITY PETROLEUM PLC
201	First Registrars	REDEEMED GLOBAL MEDIA COMPANY
202	First Registrars	SIM CAPITAL ALLIANCE VALUE FUND
203	First Registrars	STACO INSURANCE PLC
204	First Registrars	STAFF COOP SOCIETY LTD
205	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC BALANCED FUND
206	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC FLOATING RATE&
207	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC BOND FUND
208	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC DOLLAR FUND
209	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC ETF 30 FUND
210	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC ETF 40 FUND
211	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC ETHICAL FUND
212	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC GUARANTEED INCOME FUND
213	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC
214	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC MONEY MARKET FUND
215	First Registrars	STANBIC IBTC NIGERIAN EQUITY FUND
216	First Registrars	STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC
217	First Registrars	STARCOMMS PLC
218	First Registrars	UBA FIXED RATE SUBORDINATED UNSECURED
219	First Registrars	UNION DIAGNOSTIC AND CLINICAL SERVICES
220	First Registrars	UPDC REITS
221	First Registrars	VANTAGE BALANCED FUND (INCOME &
222	First Registrars	VANTAGE GUARANTEED INCOME FUND
223	First Registrars	WEST AFRICAN ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS (WAAP)
224	First Registrars	ZAMFARA STATE BOND
225	GTL Registrars	7UP Bottling Company
226	GTL Registrars	Abplast Products
227	GTL Registrars	Aluminium Extrusion
228	GTL Registrars	Cashew Nut Processing Industry
229	GTL Registrars	Chellarams
230	GTL Registrars	Christlieb
231	GTL Registrars	Dana Group
232	GTL Registrars	DN Meyer
233	GTL Registrars	DN Tyre & Rubber
234	GTL Registrars	Ecobank
235	GTL Registrars	EKOCORP
236	GTL Registrars	Ensure Insurance
237	GTL Registrars	Eterna Oil
238	GTL Registrars	First Aluminium
239	GTL Registrars	General Telecoms
240	GTL Registrars	Global Biofeuls
241	GTL Registrars	Great Nigeria Insurance
242	GTL Registrars	GSK
243	GTL Registrars	Ikeja Hotels
244	GTL Registrars	Imprest Bakolori
245	GTL Registrars	Industrial & General Insurance
246	GTL Registrars	IPWA
247	GTL Registrars	John Holts
248	GTL Registrars	Julius Berger
249	GTL Registrars	Kajola Integrated & Investment Company
250	GTL Registrars	Lennards Nigeria
251	GTL Registrars	Mobil Oil Nigeria
252	GTL Registrars	Nestle Nigeria
253	GTL Registrars	Nigeria Cement Company
254	GTL Registrars	Nigeria Enamelware Company
255	GTL Registrars	Nigeria Reinsurance
256	GTL Registrars	Nigerian Lamps Industry
257	GTL Registrars	Nigerian Wire & Cable
258	GTL Registrars	Okitipupa Oil Palm
259	GTL Registrars	Oluwa Glass Company
260	GTL Registrars	The Tourist Company of Nigeria
261	GTL Registrars	Tripple Gee
262	GTL Registrars	UBN Property
263	GTL Registrars	Unilever
264	GTL Registrars	Union Bank
265	GTL Registrars	Union Homes REITS
266	GTL Registrars	Union Homes Savings & Loans
267	GTL Registrars	University Press
268	GTL Registrars	Wema Bank
269	Lighthouse Registrars	Cornerstone Insurance
270	MainstreetBank Registrars	African Alliance Insurance
271	MainstreetBank Registrars	Golden Guinea Breweries
272	MainstreetBank Registrars	Multiverse Resources
273	MainstreetBank Registrars	Nigerian Ropes
274	MainstreetBank Registrars	Omatek Ventures
275	MainstreetBank Registrars	Univeral Insurance
276	Meristem Registrars	AFRINVEST EQUITY FUND
277	Meristem Registrars	AIRLINE SERVICE & LOGISTICS PLC
278	Meristem Registrars	BERGER PAINTS NIG PLC
279	Meristem Registrars	CHELLARAMS BOND
280	Meristem Registrars	CONOIL PLC
281	Meristem Registrars	CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INS. PLC
282	Meristem Registrars	COVENANT SALT NIGERIA LIMITED
283	Meristem Registrars	CUSTODIAN & ALLIED PLC
284	Meristem Registrars	EMPLOYEE ENERGY LIMITED
285	Meristem Registrars	ENERGY COMPANY OF NIGERIA PLC [ENCON]
286	Meristem Registrars	eTRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC
287	Meristem Registrars	FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC
288	Meristem Registrars	FOOD CONCEPTS PLC
289	Meristem Registrars	FREE RANGE FARMS PLC
290	Meristem Registrars	FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC
291	Meristem Registrars	GEO-FLUIDS PLC
292	Meristem Registrars	JUBILEE LIFE MORTGAGE BANK LTD
293	Meristem Registrars	MAMA CASS RESTAURANTS LIMITED
294	Meristem Registrars	MCN DIOCESE OF REMO
295	Meristem Registrars	MCN LAGOS CENTRAL
296	Meristem Registrars	MCN TAILORING FACTORY [NIGERIA] LIMITED
297	Meristem Registrars	MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC
298	Meristem Registrars	MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC
299	Meristem Registrars	NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC
300	Meristem Registrars	NASSARAWA STATE GOVT BOND
301	Meristem Registrars	NEIMETH INT’L PHARMS PLC
302	Meristem Registrars	NIGER INSURANCE PLC
303	Meristem Registrars	NIGERIA MORTGAGE REFINANCE COMPANY [NMRC] PLC
304	Meristem Registrars	NIGERIA MORTGAGE REFINANCE COMPANY PLC [NMRC] BOND
305	Meristem Registrars	ONWARD PAPER MILLS PLC
306	Meristem Registrars	PACAM BALANCED FUND
307	Meristem Registrars	PAINTS & COATINGS MANUFACTURERS NIG PLC
308	Meristem Registrars	PROPERTYGATE DEVT. & INVEST. PLC
309	Meristem Registrars	R.T. BRISCOE NIGERIA PLC
310	Meristem Registrars	REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC
311	Meristem Registrars	SMART PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC
312	Meristem Registrars	SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC
313	Meristem Registrars	TANTALIZERS PLC
314	Meristem Registrars	THE BGL NUBIAN FUND
315	Meristem Registrars	THE BGL SAPPHIRE FUND
316	Meristem Registrars	THOMAS WYATT PLC
317	Meristem Registrars	VITAFOAM NIGERIA PLC
318	Meristem Registrars	VONO PRODUCTS PLC
319	Meristem Registrars	ZENITH EQUITY FUND
320	Meristem Registrars	ZENITH ETHICAL FUND
321	Meristem Registrars	ZENITH INCOME FUND
322	PAC Registrars	Avon Crown Caps & Con. (Nig.)
323	PAC Registrars	BEMIL Nigeria Limited
324	PAC Registrars	Capital Oil Plc.
325	PAC Registrars	Channel Petroleum Plc.
326	PAC Registrars	FUMMAN Agric. Prod. Plc
327	PAC Registrars	Heritage Bank Ltd.
328	PAC Registrars	Int’l Energy Insurance Plc.
329	PAC Registrars	Naturelle Extracts Plc.
330	PAC Registrars	PANAfrican Capital Plc.
331	PAC Registrars	Secure Electronic Tech. Plc.
332	PAC Registrars	Spring Life Assurance Plc
333	PAC Registrars	Stokvis Nigeria Plc
334	PAC Registrars	Swap Tech. & Telecoms Plc.
335	PAC Registrars	United Mortgage Plc.
336	Pace Registrars	Academy Press
337	Pace Registrars	Big Treat
338	Pace Registrars	Capital Trust Brokers
339	Pace Registrars	Continental Reinsurance
340	Pace Registrars	Goldlink Assurance
341	Pace Registrars	Japaul Oil and Maritime Service
342	Pace Registrars	OPR-Refining & Petrochemical
343	Pace Registrars	Orient Petroleum Resources
344	Pace Registrars	Sterling Bank
345	Pace Registrars	Studio Press
346	Pace Registrars	Tetrazzini
347	United Securities	Access Bank PLC
348	United Securities	Afrinvest WA Ltd
349	United Securities	AIICO Insurance PLC
350	United Securities	AIICO Money Market Fund
351	United Securities	BSS Industries Ltd
352	United Securities	Caverton Offshore Support group
353	United Securities	Dangote Cement PLC
354	United Securities	First Securities Discount House
355	United Securities	Food Emporium Int`l Limited
356	United Securities	Gombe State Government
357	United Securities	IHS Nigeria PLC
358	United Securities	MCNichols Consolidated PLC
359	United Securities	NDEP PLC
360	United Securities	NIPCO PLC
361	United Securities	Red Star Express PLC
362	United Securities	Skye Fixed Income Fund
363	United Securities	Three Point Industries Ltd
364	United Securities	Trust Bond Mortgage Bank PLC
365	United Securities	WAPIC Insurance PLC
366	Unity Registrars	AFROIL PLC
367	Unity Registrars	BGL PLC
368	Unity Registrars	CARANDA MANAGEMENT SERV. LTD
369	Unity Registrars	DVCF OIL & GAS FUND
370	Unity Registrars	DVCF OIL & GAS PLC
371	Unity Registrars	LOTUS CAPITAL HALAL FUND
372	Unity Registrars	NORTHLINK BROKERS PLC
373	Unity Registrars	PELICAN PRINTS LIMITED
374	Unity Registrars	ROKANA PLC
375	Unity Registrars	UNITY BANK PLC
376	Unity Registrars	UNITY REGISTRARS LTD
377	Unity Registrars	UNITYKAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC
378	Veritas Registrars	DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC
379	Veritas Registrars	FORTE OIL PLC
380	Veritas Registrars	GUINNESS NIG. PLC
381	Veritas Registrars	MAY & BAKER NIG. PLC
382	Veritas Registrars	ZENITH BANK PLC

image: dailypost.ng

To celebrate the Democracy Day we (UrBizEdge Limited) are offering every Nigerian (and non-Nigerian too) free consulting services. If you've got any not too complex task or need a short virtual class/training we would be glad to help you for free. If the political and economic circumstances in the country are not making you happy, then let us be the silver-lining around the clouds. We want to be the rainbow -- to give you something memorable and refreshing -- this period.

The offer starts from today and expires on 30th of June 2018. And you are only permitted to contact Hannah on 0802-118-0874 and hannah@urbizedge.com or Emmanuel on 0908-482-5064 and emmanuel@urbizedge.com to take advantage of the offer. If you call or email Michael, he's going to bill you and pass the work to them. So get same results but pay nothing.

And the whole Democracy Day promo doesn't end there. We are organizing a hugely subsidized beginner Excel class to take place in the month of June 2018. A two days class but taken at a pace and level that is perfect for beginners. We will provide our usual high quality training materials, tea break, lunch break and after training support. But rather than charging the standard fee of N100,000 we do for our regular In-depth Excel master class (often with some discounts) or the N60,000 we charge the companies sending many participants for a custom beginner class; we will be charging a token sum of N25,000/participant without cutting down on the hard copy materials, lunch, tea break and after training support.

If you know someone who should take advantage of these offers, kindly forward them this details. 

Once again, happy democracy day! Long live Nigeria! Long live you! Long live me! Long live Excel!

image: crei-academy.com

My investment journey started in 2006. It was the period of the stocks investment craze in Nigeria. Everybody was talking about stocks the way people talked about multi-level marketing in 2011 and MMM in 2017. There were billboard adverts, TV adverts and radio jingles of companies raising money through shares sales (public offers). I bought into Mutual Benefits Assurance initial public offer. I was in my third year in the university then, so it was all the spare cash I had that I used in buying into the public offer. By the next year, I got a dividend warrant that equaled 10% of what I invested and I felt motivated to invest in stocks again. So I took my Mobil scholarship money in my final year and bought heavily into First Inland Bank public offer. Till today, I am have been unable to get the shares certificate or get any useful help from the registrars despite going to the registrars with evidence of the purchase and getting bounced around from one department in one location to another department in another location. It was painful and it was all the money I could have used for myself or do something tangible with.

Hence, my start was not a good one. But it fueled my desire to learn to do investment right and also make back the money I lost.

I bought lots of books on investing and spent my NYSC year and the year after reading all I could lay my hands and money on. It was from there I learned about all the different types of investment assets/vehicles/options and that if one had age on his side with a good analytical skills, but not much money, stocks/equities investment should be his pick.

In 2011, I restarted my investment in stocks. I opened an equities mutual fund with ARM (Discovery fund), set up a direct debit mandate to move money from my bank account to the investment fund monthly. Then when my company sent me on field work with extra monthly income of N360,000 as out of station allowance on top of my monthly salary, I opened another equity mutual fund with Stanbic (SINEF) and started a brokerage account with ARM for trading stocks directly.

While trading stocks myself, I learned the following:

1. Avoid companies that are not actively traded
2. The concept of penny stocks does not apply in Nigeria, by all the main criteria for calling a stock "penny stock" only just 2 to 4 stocks on the entire NSE are not penny stocks
3. Always read the news about the companies you invest in. Not following the news cost me a lot on Oando shares.
4. Always do your own analysis. Reading the analysis and recommendations churned out by the pro investment houses' analysts is just an exercise in learning their high sounding lingo and things you could have gotten from the news while their forecasts/recommendations change every week (so what was a sell last week becomes a buy this week and what they put a fair value price of N3/share on last week suddenly have a fair value price of N6/share this week; and no significant fundamental has since changed).
5. Investing is picking the best of your options after analysis, and not looking for a stock that will double every year.

In 2014, I resigned my job and started my own consulting business. I underestimated the amount of time and money it would take to get my feet steady. So I ended up using up all my savings and investment fund in the first year of business. So I effectively started building back my investment funds from near zero in year 2015.

From 2015 to 2018 (now), I have found the stock market a lot more rational than I originally thought. Once you factor in all the main variables that affect our own market (which are widely different from what you read in the books about US markets) you will have a higher level of confidence in your analysis and decisions. 

Currently, I have 90% of my investments in stocks. They amount to a couple of millions. I sleep very well regardless of what I read on Newspapers. Occasionally, I take from my stocks to fund my business expansion (we are expanding to building mass market subscription/direct-sales based products). And I dream + work towards building Nigeria's first truly online stocks brokerage platform that will allow for algorithmic trading, take profit settings, stop loss settings, technical analysis, APIs, shorting, in-house inverse indices and have workarounds to coming as close as possible to day trading or even high frequency trading (abolishing brokerage %age fee and giving a monthly flat fee, and finding a way to overcome the still too-high for HFT statutory charges). I am already taking steps towards registering with the appropriate professional bodies and other requirements to start a brokerage firm in Nigeria.

So that's my own experience and journey. My expertise is purely in the stocks area of investment. 

(You can help forward to anyone you feel would benefit from this. Thanks.) 

The business world is now data driven and every business professional must now be fluent in the language of data. William E. Deming had the most accurate way of portraying this new age: “In God we trust; all others must bring data.” Without data skills you will have a tough time influencing in the business world. You must learn to manipulate data, make compelling data stories, leverage data for insights and drive management decisions with rich actionable dashboards.

UrBizEdge Limited, Nigeria’s leading business data analysis company is putting together these special training for proactive business professionals. It's intended for Sales Managers, Financial Analysts, Project Managers, Business Analysts, Data Analysts, NGO program managers, MIS Analysts, Strategy Analysts, Business Intelligence Analysts, HR Executives and power Excel users.

The training will be facilitated by a Microsoft recognized Excel and Power BI Expert who is also a Microsoft Certified Trainer and the only Microsoft Excel Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Africa (there are just about 125 in the whole world and it is the highest level of recognition from Microsoft to an industry expert). He has authored bestselling books on Data Analysis using Power BI and MS Excel. We have had participants of our training from Citi Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Dalberg, SaveTheChildren, Mobil, TCN, Chevron, Vodacom, Nestle, Christian Aid UK, Guinness Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries, Delta Afrik, LATC Marine, Broll, Habanera (JTI), Custodian and Allied Insurance, SABMiller, IBM, Airtel, Diamond Bank, Promasidor, eHealth Africa, ECOWAS, Biofem Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Finance, FMDQ, Schlumberger, Palladium Group, Nokia Siemens Networks and DDB.

To register reach Michael on 08089382423 and mike@urbizedge.com or Hannah on 08021180874 and hannah@urbizedge.com or Emmanuel on 09084825064 and emmanuel@urbizedge.com to register. There is a class size limit.

Power BI Training Date: Friday 15th June 2018 to Saturday 16th June 2018

Venue: Kristina Jade Learning Center, 70b Olorunlogbon street, after Banex Hotel, Anthony Village, Lagos. 

Abuja Date (MS Excel): Friday 8th June 2018 to Saturday 9th June 2018

Abuja Venue: Hotel Rosebud, 33 Port Harcourt crescent, off Gimbiya street, Garki 11, Abuja.

Port Harcourt Date (MS Excel): Friday 22nd June 2018 to Saturday 23rd June 2018

Port Harcourt Venue: Aldgate Hotel, 20B King Perekule street, GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt, Rivers state. 

Lagos Date (MS Excel): Friday 29th June 2018 to Saturday 30th June 2018

Lagos Venue: Kristina Jade Learning Center, 70b Olorunlogbon street, after Banex Hotel, Anthony Village, Lagos. 

The Business Intelligence with Power BI training outline is:

1.     Power BI’s strength and weakness compared to the other popular BI tools
2.     Important concepts of Power BI: real-time insights, drilldown, drill through, management dashboards, live connection, data governance, real-time collaboration, going from data to insights and from insights to action, trigger alerts, controlled access etc.
3.     Connecting to any type of data source (from structured to unstructured which will require some transforming)
4.     Getting data from existing services, organizational content pack, flat files and live databases
5.     Data Transformation (very broad and requires some knowledge of data analysis) and we will use DAX and M formulas too.
6.     Creating relationships between the datasets and leveraging hierarchy (a.k.a. data modelling)
7.     Creating Reports
8.     Visualizations and the science behind choosing the right visuals
9.     Importing custom visuals (especially word cloud for sentiment analysis and other very useful non-native visuals)
10.   Creating dashboards
11.   Publishing Reports from the Power BI Desktop and pinning to dashboards
12.   Scheduling refresh and configuring data gateways
13.   Q & A Natural Language query
14.   Integrating with Cortana
15.   Live Dashboards
16.   Collaboration and sharing
17.   Printing and Export to PowerPoint
18.   Analyzing the dashboard data (report) from Power BI service in Excel (new feature)
19.   Value Proposition to corporate customers
20.   Use case scenarios for entire company or business unit or departments
21.   Access from mobile app and setting data alerts (automated notifications when something of note happens)
22.   Lots of interaction and practice

The Excel based Data Analysis training outline is:

1) Data Manipulation in Excel 

We’ll show you, from a consultant expertise level, how to manipulate data in Excel. From data preparation/cleaning to data formatting the professional way. We’ll cover both the science and the art of data manipulation in Excel, and share very useful keyboard shortcuts and expert tricks that will speed up your productivity in Excel.

2) Data Visualization and Presentation in Excel

A picture is worth a thousand words. And in the business world, it is often the only way to not bore your audience and pass the valuable message you’ve uncovered in your data analysis. We will teach you the foundations of data visualization – from the different types of charts to when to use each of them. Then we will work through business samples to learn the art part of doing data visualization right. You will learn the rules of business data reporting via charts and gain from our industry wealth of consulting for businesses in this vital area.

3) Large Data Analysis: Pivot Table, Pivot Chart and PowerPivot
You should never say you know Excel if you don’t know how to use Pivot Table. It is that important. It is Excel’s premium tool for analysing large data – sales data, inventory data, HR data, transaction data and most business operations data. We are going to cover from the basics to the very advanced use of Pivot Tables. We will show you how to create dynamic reports with Pivot Table; how to overcome some of its layout issues; how to turn off the distracting controls in your final report; how to create calculated fields; how to create Pivot Charts; and the special tricks only a full-time Excel consultant can show you that will turbo-charge you Pivot Table skills. Then we’ll show you how we analyse data of up to (and even above) 30 million rows in Excel. Yes, in Excel. Heard of PowerPivot?

4) Business Data Analysis 

In this section, we teach you the secrets that separate the analysis experts from the people with head/academic knowledge Excel. It is one thing to know the different tools in Excel and it is another completely different thing to know how to expertly mix them together to creatively deliver value at high speed. As full-time Excel chef, we will show you the secret ingredients that make companies consult us even when they have Excel super users in their organization.

5) Executive Dashboards and Reporting
This is the level self-knowledge will not get you to. How do you create an uncrowded insightful visualization for a report with 1000s of rows? Then how about for your sales analysis report of many products and regions? How do you show the different interactions in your data? In short, how do you bring your data to life and take it from a boring confusing mass of text to an interactive exciting visualization? You have to come to get the answers.

6) Excel to PowerPoint

Management level reports are best presented in PowerPoints. When you’ve got a delicate story to tell, you have to guide your audience through a one idea/insight a slide PowerPoint. We won’t teach you how to design slides but we will teach you how to make your chart slides speak very loud. You will also learn the tricks of linking your PowerPoint charts to Excel. It will help cut down the hours you spend on weekly/monthly PowerPoint reports. We will also show you how to embed Excel files in your PowerPoint slide. No more sending separate Excel files when you can embed them right on the very slide you reference their data.

7) Excel VBA
Forget about all you’ve heard about Macros or VBA. Let’s show you how easy and exciting it is to break into the Excel VBA world.

To register reach Michael on 08089382423 and mike@urbizedge.com or Hannah on 08021180874 and hannah@urbizedge.com or Emmanuel on 09084825064 and emmanuel@urbizedge.com to register. There is a class size limit.

For a taste of our high quality content, view our free tutorial videos at www.urbizedge.com/tutorials

Today's guest post is on the fundamentals of building wealth. The only edit I felt tempted to include is paraphrase the source of true wealth to point to God using our mind. Enjoy!

image: greatperformersacademy.com

Believe it or not, you are not supposed to be poor. Living in lack, begging, borrowing from paycheck to paycheck and swimming in debt was not God’s plan for man. Man was supposed to dominate his environment. Sadly today more than three quarters of the earth’s population live in extreme poverty.

Poverty was my reality until I discovered the source of true wealth and riches. By true wealth and riches I am not referring to gold, or other mineral deposits that can be found on the earth. The source of true wealth and riches is the mind, from where every great wealth emanates from. Wealth has to be thought of first before it becomes reality. In other words it is thought that produces wealth.

Now for the mind to be able to effectively kick start wealth creation it must be free of self-limiting beliefs. These beliefs are falsehoods that we see as true. This causes many people to fail to achieve their financial potential because it is what you believe that becomes reality. Here are twelve of such self-limiting beliefs that held me back from financial success in the past:

Riches are the result of spiritual activity

Self-limiting belief number one for me was that riches are the result of spiritual activity. In order to become wealthy all I needed to do was to fast and pray, attend church programs and vigils. And voila my efforts would lead to financial breakthrough. No way. This does not work! In fact most of the richest people in the world are the least religious with very few believing that God exists. Spiritual activity can only point one in the right direction as to what needs doing, it can’t produce wealth by itself.

Lack of connections

Lack of connections was the second belief that I felt was a hindrance to becoming wealthy. I needed to know the right people who would help me achieve my goals. Not having any connections meant I could never become wealthy. How wrong I was! Nobody is born with connections; rather they are the result of years of deliberate cultivation.  As I continued to work hard and build relationships I gradually started building my network of contacts. These eventually became my connections and have assisted me on the way up the financial ladder. You too can do the same.

I need to relocate to make it financially

Thirdly, it is not possible to make it in my country Nigeria. I needed to relocate abroad in order to make it. That is a lie. Go to the International Airport and see the amount of foreigners trooping into Nigeria on a daily basis. They are not here for sightseeing. Even the international business community sees Nigeria as a huge investment opportunity that many want to cash in on. Can this be the same Nigeria that I wanted to run out of that many people are running to? This land is truly green with opportunity. I am now making it in Nigeria.

Rich people are lucky

Fourth, the rich are lucky. They have luck on their side, and poor me didn’t qualify to be part of the lucky stakes. Now I know better. There is no such thing as luck. Rather there are favourable situations that can benefit you when opportunity comes and you are prepared for it. I kept preparing and preparing and one day things fell in place like clockwork. My opportunity came and because I was prepared I was able to grab it with both hands.

Lack of Capital

The fifth limiting belief was lack of capital. Without money I could not take advantage of opportunities that came my way. I find that this is one of the self-limiting beliefs hindering many people from building wealth. In order to defeat this I pursued my dreams on a small scale for starters, and sought for funds from friends and loved ones. I even put some of my dreams on hold while saving startup money. Lack of money is not an excuse not to start something.

Lost opportunities can't be regained

Self-limiting belief number six is the famous saying, “opportunity knocks but once". I used to believe this statement, which alluded to the fact that missed opportunities never return. With all due respect to the author of this statement I have discovered that lost opportunities do return.  But in another form. Opportunity keeps knocking and sooner or later as long as I was prepared I would be able to take advantage.

Failing to harness the power of my imagination

Failing to harness the power of my imagination was the seventh self-limiting belief causing me not to progress financially. There is a lot of power in one’s imagination. The imagination is the eye of the mind that helps you first internalize what you want to see in your life. In other words I needed to imagine myself as wealthy and successful in my mind before I could attain it. Unfortunately my mind chose to internalize my poor state instead. It was when I started focusing on the right images that things began to improve.

Underestimating my abilities regarding wealth creation

Eighth, I was very guilty of underestimating my abilities regarding success and wealth creation. When you believe that you are an undeserving and unworthy candidate for wealth, then wealth wants to be far away from you. I came to myself and replaced those thoughts with positive ones proclaiming the fact that I deserved to be rich. It was my place to control financial resources and I was as good as anyone trying hard to build wealth.

The current economic situation

Ninth, the current economic situation could be such a major hindrance. I was wont to believe that wealth and riches cannot be amassed during times of economic crisis and recession. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is in times of adversity and challenges that some rise to the occasion thereby creating wealth for themselves. Economic crisis may be fraught with challenges but it's also a time of opportunity. I don't let the current economic situation cause me to believe that it is impossible to be wealthy.

No one in my family had amassed substantial wealth

By far one of the strongest self-limiting beliefs I had to contend with was that no one in my family had amassed massive wealth and fortune. What are the chances of succeeding when no one else in my lineage was up to the task? I was only able to defeat this notion of not succeeding by reading books of many successful people. In my studies I was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of today’s financial successes are also the first people in their families to amass stupendous fortune. If they could do it then I could too.

You cannot be rich without being fraudulent

Self-limiting belief number eleven strives to make it clear that one cannot succeed without engaging in criminal acts. It seeks to demonise everyone who is wealthy as being involved in one shady activity or the other. In fact it maintains that wealth abstains from those who are honest and upright in their dealings. Again it was while studying the lives of rich people that I found that there are many honest and upright rich people in our society. It's just that they are not often celebrated. Their stories made me believe it is possible to make wealth the right way.

Having lots of money is evil

My twelfth self-limiting belief concerns my desire and dream to amass wealth. I used to think that amassing lots of money was evil. Wealth would cause me to lose focus and compromise my faith and principles. Society paints the picture of the rich as greedy and desperate people who keep wanting more and more. The truth is there’s nothing wrong in desiring plenty of money. What's wrong is when you compromise to get it and you love it more than anything else in your life.  As long as my motives were grounded and I did not let money become my God I was free to gather as much as I could.

My final word on self-limiting beliefs

The mind is a battleground. If you desire wealth then you must infuse the mind with wealthy thoughts and beliefs. Failure to do so will cause you to stagnate financially.  There's usually something holding us back from going after our goals and achieving our potential right in our minds. Once we can identify and neutralize these self-limiting beliefs we are well on our way to achieving wealth.

Now this list is by no means exhaustive. I urge you to take time out now and examine everything you believe about money. Write them down and engage in a painstaking review. Make the necessary changes should you discover any of these self-limiting beliefs hold true for you. I make bold to declare that one of the major reasons you are not rich today is because you have self-limiting beliefs about money operating in your life at the moment.

Author's Profile

Kenneth Doghudje is intensely committed to seeing people achieve their financial goals and aspirations in Africa. A CEO by day and a Blogger by night, he believes that the secret to anyone succeeding financially is to mix workable insights with action which translates to wealth and riches.

Please endeavor to visit www.moneytalkNG.com for more articles on money and personal finance. You can also sign up for moneytalkNG’s newsletter where Kenneth dispenses financial wisdom by clicking here to receive latest insights direct into your mailbox.