A growing number of African migrants who built successful lives in the United Kingdom are having their legacies lost forever, as hundreds of estates belonging to Nigerians and other Africans remain unclaimed due to lack of wills or known heirs.
The UK government’s official Unclaimed Estates List, updated daily, reveals over 170 estates connected to African-born individuals—with Nigerians constituting a significant portion. These cases represent properties, savings, and personal assets that risk permanent absorption by the Crown as “bona vacantia” (ownerless property) if no heirs come forward.
The Human Cost of Dying Intestate
The list tells heartbreaking stories of migrants whose dreams ended in bureaucratic limbo:
– Adenike Adebiyi, a Nigerian nurse who died in Hackney, London in 2004, left behind a £250,000 estate with no known relatives.
– Solomon Adekanmibi, a Lagos-born businessman who passed in Colchester, Essex in 2021, owned two properties now sitting unclaimed.
– Kofi Mensah, a Ghanaian engineer who died in Manchester in 2018, had £180,000 in savings with no will or next-of-kin documentation.
“These aren’t just financial losses—they’re fragments of family histories disappearing,” says London-based probate lawyer Amaka Eze. “We’re seeing entire life stories erased because proper estate planning wasn’t in place.”
Why African Estates Go Unclaimed
1. Cultural Taboos: 72 per cent of Nigerians in the UK don’t have wills, according to 2024 data from the Black British Legacy Foundation, often due to cultural avoidance of death discussions.
2. Family Disconnections: Migration frequently strains family ties. A 2023 Oxford Migration Study found 1 in 4 African migrants lose regular contact with relatives back home.
3. Documentation Gaps: Many UK death records lack crucial details like African hometowns or extended family contacts, making heir searches nearly impossible.
The Race Against Time
Under UK law, unclaimed estates transfer permanently to the Crown after 30 years. Notable recent cases include:
– A £1.2 million estate belonging to a Nigerian oil executive who died in 1993 (claim deadline: 2025)
– Properties worth £800,000 owned by a Kenyan doctor who passed in 1996 (deadline: 2026)
How Families Can Reclaim Legacies
1. Search the Database: The official Unclaimed Estates List (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list) allows searches by name, birthplace, or death location.
2. Genealogy Services: Firms like Finders International specialize in tracing African heirs, with a 40% success rate for Nigerian cases.
3. Diaspora Will Initiatives: Organizations like the Nigerian British Business Forum now offer free will-writing clinics for community members.
A Call for Action
Lagos-based family lawyer Chidi Nwafor urges: “Every African family with relatives abroad should have ‘the talk’ about assets. One conversation today can prevent generations of loss tomorrow.”
As the UK’s African diaspora population surpasses 2 million, this issue grows more urgent. These unclaimed estates don’t just represent money—they’re the physical remnants of migration stories, sacrifices, and dreams that deserve to be reclaimed.
How to Check for Unclaimed Estates
Visit: [UK Unclaimed Estates List](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list)
Search tips: Try alternate name spellings, include known cities of residence, and check middle names which might appear as surnames in records.
