Untold tales of African migration, wealth, and familial relationships are revealed by hundreds of unclaimed estates.
In the UK, thousands of people pass away each year without making a will or naming their heirs. Many Nigerians and other Africans are among those whose estates, which can include everything from cash to real estate, go unclaimed.
Nigerians make up a sizable percentage of the more than 170 entries linked to African-born people on the UK government’s most recent list of unclaimed estates, which is updated every day.
A Lost Legacy
The UK became a home away from home for many migrants, a place of opportunity where they made money, bought real estate, and established a life.
However, their assets are frequently deemed “bona vacantia” (ownerless goods) in the absence of a will, placing them in the Crown’s care.
Many times, families in Africa are not aware of these estates, which results in a permanent loss of assets.
The ramifications of dying intestate are exemplified by cases such as Solomon Adekanmibi’s 2021 death in Colchester, Essex, and Adenike Adebiyi’s 2004 death in Hackney, London.
Their legacies run the risk of being lost when their estates go unclaimed due to missing paperwork or an unidentified next of kin.
The Significance of It
This phenomenon highlights a crucial problem: a large number of African families are ignorant of the financial circumstances of their relatives who live overseas.
Communication is frequently hampered by migration, and money earned abroad is inaccessible without proper documentation.
The loss is profoundly emotional and cultural in nature in addition to being monetary. Unreported family history, ties, and the hardships of migrants who established their lives in the diaspora are symbolized by unclaimed estates.
The difficulties.
Lack of Knowledge: The majority of families in Nigeria and other African nations do not know about or know how to access their relatives’ properties located abroad.
Genealogical Gaps: Official records frequently contain insufficient information. For instance, a lot of entries on the UK’s unclaimed estates list are missing important details about the next of kin or family history.
Cultural Hesitancies: Talking about death and wills is frowned upon in many African cultures, which makes people reluctant to plan for wealth distribution.
An Urgent Appeal
Legal experts, community organizations, and African governments must increase public knowledge of this problem.
What can be done is as follows:
Promoting Will Writing: In order to safeguard their assets, migrants living abroad should be made aware of the significance of creating wills.
Genealogical Support: Through regional or global collaborations, families in Africa might receive help locating unclaimed assets.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Traditional and social media can disseminate family resources and emphasize the value of estate planning.
How to View the List: A daily updated public Unclaimed Estates List is kept up to date by the UK government.
To look for possible claims, families can search the list by name, birthplace, or other identifiers.
What are the options?
The problem of unclaimed estates in the UK has been brought to light in this article, especially those pertaining to deceased Africans and Nigerians who died without leaving a will.
If the legitimate heirs do not come forward within the allotted time, these unclaimed estates run the risk of being taken over by the UK government.
Advice for the Families of Those Who Have Died and Have ties to the UK:
If a family member of yours:
died in the United Kingdom without leaving a will.
lived in the UK before retiring to Nigeria and passing away without leaving a will.
Examining whether they left behind unclaimed assets is essential. What you can do is as follows:
Refer to the Bona Vacantia List: The Bona Vacantia list is a list of unclaimed estates kept by the UK government. Check to see if the estate of your relative is on this list.
Verify Eligibility: You must be an entitled relative, such as a spouse, child, brother, or other close family member, in order to be eligible to receive an estate. The hierarchy of entitled relatives is described in length in the UK government’s guidelines.
Get the necessary paperwork ready: Collect the necessary paperwork, such as:
a thorough family tree that shows how you were related to the dead.
Certificates of birth, marriage, and death are used to prove ancestry.
documentation proving personal identification.
Make a Claim: To begin the claim procedure, get in touch with the Bona Vacantia Division of the UK Government Legal Department. To substantiate your claim, provide any necessary documentation.
Be Aware of Time Limits: Interest on the funds retained is paid, and claims are normally accepted within 12 years after the date the estate administration was finished. Claims may occasionally be filed up to 30 years after the death, although interest is not paid during this time.
Preventive actions can help keep your assets from ending up as unclaimed estates.
Create a will to specify exactly how you want your possessions to be divided after you pass away.
Keep Records Up to Date: Ensure that your financial and personal documents are up to date and available to family members you can trust.
Notify Family: Make sure your family is aware of any assets you own, whether in the UK or abroad, to make claims easier if needed.
You may protect your family’s inheritance and make sure that assets are dispersed and claimed legally by following these procedures.
Concluding remarks
Many Nigerians and Africans in the UK view their unclaimed estates as a tale of migration, resiliency, and identity rather than merely financial gain.
Families can recover their heritage and the memory of people who traveled to the diaspora should not be forgotten by tackling this expanding problem.
Concluding remarks
Many Nigerians and Africans in the UK view their unclaimed estates as a tale of migration, resiliency, and identity rather than merely financial gain.
Families can recover their heritage and the memory of people who traveled to the diaspora should not be forgotten by tackling this expanding problem.
The most recent daily update as of March 24, 2025, is available here. Click here
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