Buying land is harder to unwind than declining a tempting offer. In Lagos, the same street can contain plots with different histories, restrictions and access. Start by identifying the exact parcel, then let independent professionals verify the claimed rights before you pay a substantial deposit.
Start with the physical parcel
Obtain the survey plan, plot or scheme number, street description and coordinates. Visit with a surveyor who can locate the beacons and compare the plan with the land being shown. Check access roads, drainage channels, setbacks, neighbouring development and signs of occupation or dispute. A phone pin alone is not a boundary survey.
Ask whether the land is part of a government scheme, private estate, family land or an earlier subdivision. That answer affects which documents and approvals your lawyer should expect; it does not replace the search.
Search the history of the interest
Ask for the seller's root-of-title document and every transfer connecting that document to the seller. The Land Use Act governs rights of occupancy and consent to many transfers. A lawyer should check the state of title, restrictions, outstanding consent, encumbrances and acquisition issues. The Lagos land administration portal provides property-search and certified-copy services, but an online search result alone is not a complete opinion on title.
If you are shown only an “excision,” “gazette” or “allocation” claim, ask which specific land it covers and which later documents are required. Do not assume a phrase commonly used in advertising has the same effect for every parcel.
Check what you are allowed to build
The permitted use and development controls matter to the property's value. Ask the planning authority about the proposed use, density, setbacks and development permit path. For construction in Lagos, the building-control agency's guidance describes inspections and completion certification. A land sale contract should not promise a building outcome that has not been checked with the relevant authority.
Write down every cost and deadline
Your budget may need to cover the price, legal work, survey, registration or consent, planning, estate charges and infrastructure. Ask for a written breakdown of what the seller will deliver and by when. If the plot is sold “off-plan” within an estate, specify roads, utilities and handover standards in the contract rather than relying on a brochure.
Give your lawyer room to negotiate a conditional deposit and remedy if a title or survey check fails. The best time to discover a mismatch is before your money becomes difficult to recover.
Sources
Official pages this guide relies on. Rules and fees change, so check the current version before you act.
- Land Use Act (lawsofnigeria.placng.org)
- Lagos land administration portal (landonline.lagosstate.gov.ng)
- Building-control agency's guidance (lasbca.lagosstate.gov.ng)
Related reading: C of O versus deed of assignment · Buying checklist.