How to find your CHN and check your CSCS account before the Dangote refinery listing

Shares allotted in the Dangote refinery offer will land in a CSCS account, so it helps to know yours before the listing. This guide covers what CSCS and its own announcements say about finding your Clearing House Number (CHN) and checking your holdings. Details are as of 10 November 2026; confirm them with CSCS or your stockbroker.

What is a CSCS account and a CHN?

According to the CSCS FAQ, the CHN is "a unique number that identifies each investor in the Nigerian Capital Market". Your shares are held and recorded electronically on the CSCS system. Cowrywise's help page says you need a CSCS account and a CHN to invest in Nigerian stocks.

If you applied for the Dangote offer through an app or broker, you very likely already have both. The steps below help you confirm it.

How do I find my CHN?

There are three routes. Each is sourced from CSCS or from the platform named.

• Dial the CSCS USSD code *7270#. CSCS announced it in May 2025 with MTN Nigeria, saying investors can retrieve their CHN, check Direct Cash Settlement status, view stock positions and balances, and confirm account status. It was initially open to MTN users only, with other networks to follow, so it may not work on your line.
• Ask your stockbroker. The CSCS FAQ says a global search can be requested through your stockbrokerage firm, and the broker holds your account details.
• Check inside the app you used. Cowrywise says it links an existing CSCS account to your stock profile automatically, or creates one free when you activate NG Stocks. Other apps differ, so use their help page.

We could not verify the exact menu steps for *7270#, because CSCS's announcement lists what the service does but not how to navigate it. Follow the prompts that appear on screen.

How do I check my shares on my CSCS account?

The CSCS FAQ lists three ways to check your CSCS account:

• Sign up for online portfolio management on the CSCS website at cscs.ng/home/register.
• Visit a CSCS office in Lagos or Abuja with a valid ID and ask for a global search, which the FAQ describes as a comprehensive search of an investor's stocks across the capital market.
• Request a global search through your stockbrokerage firm.

Be careful with login pages. One Legit.ng guide gives a different web address for a CSCS login, which we could not confirm against CSCS's own site, so only enter details on cscs.ng and type the address yourself.

How do I get a CSCS account if I do not have one?

The CSCS FAQ says you must first open an account with a stockbrokerage firm before you can open a CSCS account, and points to the Nigerian Exchange directory of active dealing members at nse.com.ng. For biometric capture it accepts a national ID card, international passport, driver's licence or voter's card, and asks for your contact details, CHN, stockbroker's name, BVN and bank account number.

That sequence takes time, so do not expect to open a new account and receive Dangote shares from an offer that has already closed. The offer closed on 27 October, and shares go only to successful applicants. A new CSCS account lets you buy on the exchange once trading starts.

When will Dangote refinery shares appear in my account?

Not yet. Reports say the basis of allotment is due at the SEC around 10 November, with clearance targeted for 17 November and trading around 8 December, though that last date is unconfirmed. Our explainer on the Dangote refinery IPO allotment, refund and listing date covers the sequence.

What details should I have ready before I check?

Keep your ID, BVN and the bank account number linked to your investment account close by. The CSCS FAQ lists the national ID card, international passport, driver's licence and voter's card as accepted identification for biometric capture, and asks for your contact details, CHN, stockbroker's name, BVN and bank account number. If any of these do not match the records your broker holds, ask the broker to correct them before allotment, because shares are credited to the account on file.

Write down your stockbroker's name and the app or bank you used for the Dangote application. If a refund or credit looks wrong later, those are the first details a registrar or broker will ask for.

How will the Dangote shares reach my CSCS account?

Legit.ng, citing The Guardian, reports that after the SEC clears the basis of allotment, shares are credited to successful investors' CSCS accounts, with clearance targeted for 17 November. The same report says trading is pencilled in for around 8 December but is not confirmed. Applicants who were scaled back should also see unused money returned, which is covered in our allotment and refund explainer.

What should I watch out for?

• Nobody from CSCS, the SEC or a registrar will ask you to send money to receive allotted shares.
• Do not share your CHN, BVN or bank details with anyone who contacts you first.
• If a platform shows different holdings from CSCS, ask your broker for a global search and compare.