Off-plan is attractive for a simple reason. You pay a deposit, spread the balance, and hope to get a home for less than a finished one costs. So is off-plan property safe in Nigeria? It can be, but only if you check before you pay, not after.
This guide is for home buyers, investors and diaspora Nigerians considering an off-plan home or estate. It focuses on Lagos, where the rules are clearest, and explains what to ask in Abuja, Port Harcourt and elsewhere.
By the end, you will have a 10-point checklist to run on any developer, and you will know which answers should make you walk away.
Is off-plan property safe in Nigeria?
Off-plan property in Nigeria is as safe as the developer, the land title, the approvals, and the contract behind it. When all four are verified, off-plan can be a sound way to buy. When any one is missing, your deposit is exposed. The safety comes from your checks, not from the brochure.
Off-plan means you pay for a property before it is built or completed. You are not buying a house yet. You are buying a promise to deliver one, backed by documents.
The Lagos State Government has shown how real the risk is. In August 2025, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development published a list of 176 estates operating without approval, mainly along the Eti-Osa, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe axes, according to Premium Times. The state warned that buyers of property in unapproved estates risk losing their investments.
In December 2025, Lagos issued a final warning to developers of unapproved estates and threatened demolition and fines, according to Nairametrics.
What are the main off-plan property risks in Nigeria?
The main off-plan property risks in Nigeria are delayed delivery, abandoned projects, defective title, missing building approvals, price increases written into the contract, and developers who cannot refund. Most of these risks can be reduced, though not removed, by checking the developer, the land and the contract before you pay any deposit.
Risk | What it looks like | What protects you |
|---|---|---|
Delayed delivery | Completion date keeps moving | A completion clause with a firm date and a remedy |
Abandoned project | Site goes quiet, developer stops responding | Developer track record and payments tied to progress |
Bad title | Land is under acquisition or has a family dispute | Title search and survey charting before you pay |
No approvals | Estate or building lacks permits | Copies of layout approval and building permit, checked with the agency |
Price escalation | "Variation" clause lets the price rise mid-build | A fixed price, or a capped and clearly defined variation clause |
No refund | Developer keeps your money if you exit | A written refund clause with a timeline |
How do you verify a developer in Nigeria?
To verify a developer in Nigeria, confirm the company is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), check its completed projects in person, and, in Lagos, confirm it is registered with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA). Then speak to past buyers. A developer with nothing finished to show you is asking you to fund its first attempt.
In Lagos, real estate practitioners, including developers, must register with LASRERA. The Lagos State Government declared unregistered practice illegal in June 2025, according to Nairametrics.
What to check about the developer:
CAC registration and the names of the directors.
LASRERA registration, if the project is in Lagos.
At least one completed and occupied project you can visit.
Past buyers you can call without the developer in the room.
Court or media reports about the company or its directors.
Questions to ask on your first call
Which of your projects are completed and occupied, and can I visit one this week?
Is this estate's layout approved, and can I have a copy of the approval and the building permit?
Whose name is on the land title, and is it the same company on my contract?
Which account will I pay into, and is it in the company's registered name?
What happens to my money if the project is delayed by a year?
Write down the answers. Vague replies, or promises to "send it later", tell you as much as the answers themselves.
Fraud often hides behind professional websites and billboards. Our guide on how property fraudsters operate in Lagos and Abuja shows the patterns to watch for.
"Off-plan is not buying a house. It is buying a promise. Check the person making it."
-Eze Maximus Chukwujindu
What approvals should an off-plan project in Lagos have?
An off-plan project in Lagos should have a verified land title, an approved estate layout, and a planning permit from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA). During and after construction, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) inspects the building in stages and issues a Certificate of Fitness for Habitation when work is complete.
Ask the developer for copies of each approval, then confirm them with the issuing agency yourself. A photocopy on a brochure is not confirmation.
Approval | Who issues it (Lagos) | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
Land title (C of O, Governor's Consent or registered title) | Lagos State Lands Bureau | The developer has a right to the land |
Estate layout approval | Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development | The estate itself is approved |
Planning or development permit | LASPPPA | The building design is approved to start |
Stage inspections and Certificate of Fitness for Habitation | LASBCA | The building was inspected and is fit to occupy |
The Lagos State Building Control Agency's published guide explains its inspection role in detail.
Outside Lagos, the agency names differ, but the logic is the same. In Port Harcourt or Abuja, ask which state or territory body issued the layout approval and building permit, then confirm with that office directly.
What should an off-plan contract of sale include?
An off-plan contract of sale should state the exact unit, the total price, the payment schedule, the completion date, what happens if the developer is late, how you get a refund, and what title you will receive on completion. Any clause that lets the developer change the price, unit or date at will is a warning sign.
Have a property lawyer you appoint yourself review the contract. Do not rely on the developer's lawyer.
Clauses to read twice
Payment schedule: how much, when, and to which account.
Completion clause: a firm delivery date, not "estimated".
Delay remedy: compensation or a right to exit if the date passes.
Refund clause: how much you get back if you or the developer cancel, and how fast.
Variation clause: whether the price can rise, by how much, and why.
Title on completion: which document you will receive, such as a deed of assignment, and who pays for Governor's Consent.
Specifications: finishes and fittings written into the contract, not just shown in the brochure.
Tie payments to progress
Where you can, link payments to visible construction stages rather than calendar dates. The example below shows the idea with illustrative percentages, not a real developer's terms.
Stage | Example share of price | What you should see before paying |
|---|---|---|
Deposit | 30% | Signed contract and verified title and approvals |
Foundation complete | 20% | Foundation done on site |
Roofing complete | 25% | Building roofed |
Completion and handover | 25% | Finished unit and Certificate of Fitness for Habitation |
Also ask whether payments go into an escrow or a dedicated project account. A developer who refuses any form of protection for your money is telling you something.
The 10-point off-plan checklist before you pay a deposit
Before you pay any off-plan deposit in Nigeria, run all ten checks below: title, survey, estate layout approval, building permit, developer registration, track record, contract, payment account, refund terms and a site visit. If the developer cannot or will not help you complete any of them, treat that as your answer.
Title: get a copy of the C of O, Governor's Consent or registered title, and search it at the state lands registry.
Survey: chart the survey plan at the Surveyor-General's office to confirm the land is free from government acquisition.
Layout approval: confirm the estate layout is approved by the state planning ministry.
Building permit: confirm the planning permit with LASPPPA in Lagos, or the equivalent body elsewhere.
Developer registration: check CAC and, in Lagos, LASRERA registration.
Track record: visit at least one completed, occupied project and speak to buyers.
Contract: have your own lawyer review it, especially the completion, refund and variation clauses.
Payment account: pay only into a company or escrow account in the developer's registered name, never a personal account.
Refund terms: know exactly what you get back, and when, if the project fails.
Site visit: go to the site yourself, unannounced if possible, and return during construction.
Many of these checks overlap with buying land. Our guide to the 7 documents to verify before buying land in Nigeria walks through each one.
From my desk: the developer red flag I never ignore
When a buyer asks me whether an off-plan deal is safe, I start with one question: what has this developer already finished? Not designed, not launched, finished and occupied. If the answer is nothing, I tell the buyer they are funding the developer's first experiment, and that is a different risk from buying a home.
The second red flag I watch for is pressure. "Only two units left." "Price goes up on Friday." "Pay into this account today to hold your unit." Real projects have real deadlines, but a developer who rushes you past your checks does not want you to finish them.
I also look closely at where the money goes. If a developer asks you to pay into a personal account, or into a company name different from the one on the contract, stop. In my experience, that one detail tells you more than any brochure.
"A developer who rushes you past your checks does not want you to finish them."
-Eze Maximus Chukwujindu
If you are deciding between off-plan and other ways to invest, the Nigerian Property Investor's Masterclass (NiPIM) teaches you how to compare and verify before you commit.
An off-plan deposit is often the largest cheque you will write on a promise; the Nigerian Property Investor's Masterclass (NiPIM) teaches you how to verify the developer, the land and the contract before you sign it.
- Off-plan property in Nigeria is only as safe as the title, approvals, developer and contract behind it.
- In August 2025, Lagos listed 176 estates without approval and warned buyers they risked losing their investments.
- In Lagos, LASPPPA issues planning permits and LASBCA inspects buildings and issues the Certificate of Fitness for Habitation.
- Developers in Lagos must be registered with LASRERA.
- Your contract must include a firm completion date, a delay remedy and a written refund clause.
- Pay only into a company or escrow account, and tie payments to construction progress where you can.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my money back if the developer abandons the off-plan project?
Only if your contract gives you a refund right and the developer has the money to pay. Otherwise, you may need to go to court, which takes time. That is why the refund clause and the developer's track record matter before you pay.
Is off-plan cheaper than buying a completed house in Nigeria?
Off-plan is often priced below a completed unit in the same estate, because you are taking the delivery risk. The saving only matters if the project is delivered. Compare the discount with the risk and the years your money is tied up.
How do I check if an estate in Lagos is approved?
Ask the developer for the layout approval and building permit, then confirm them with the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and LASPPPA. The state has published lists of unapproved estates, so check those too.
Can I buy off-plan property in Nigeria from abroad safely?
Yes, but distance adds risk. Appoint your own lawyer in Nigeria, ask for regular site photos and videos, and have someone you trust visit the site. Never send money to a personal account.
What document will I get after paying for off-plan property?
You should receive a contract of sale and payment receipts during the build. On completion, you should receive a deed of assignment or similar title document. Your contract should say which document you will get and who pays for Governor's Consent.
