Land Buying Checklist in Nigeria: 12 Things to Verify Before You Pay

Most land fraud in Nigeria does not succeed because buyers are careless. It succeeds because buyers check some things and skip others. This land buying checklist for Nigeria puts every check on one page, so nothing gets skipped.

This guide is for first-time land buyers, investors and diaspora Nigerians buying in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt or anywhere else in the country. Print it, work through it with your lawyer and surveyor, and do not pay until every box is ticked.

By the end, you will know the 12 checks, who should do each one, what proof to collect and which red flags should end the deal.

What should be on a land buying checklist in Nigeria?

A land buying checklist in Nigeria should cover four areas: the seller, the documents, the land itself and the payment. Within those areas, there are 12 checks, from confirming the seller's right to sell to applying for Governor's Consent after you pay. Each check closes off a specific kind of fraud or dispute, so skipping one leaves a gap.

How do you check the seller and the title?

Check the seller by confirming who they are and that they have the legal right to sell this exact land. Check the title by getting a copy of the document, identifying its type, and having your own lawyer search it at the state land registry. A real title in the wrong hands is as dangerous as a fake one.

Check 1: The seller's identity and authority

• Individual seller: confirm their identity and that the title is in their name.

• Company: confirm the company's registration and that the person signing is authorised.

• Family land: confirm the family head and principal members will sign, not just one relative.

• Community land: confirm the recognised community leadership will sign.

Nigerian law gives several kinds of owner the power to sell land. Our guide to the 7 entities with the legal power to sell you land explains who can sign for what.

Check 2: The title document

Ask for a copy of the title and confirm what it is: a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), a Governor's Consent, a registered deed of assignment, or a family or community title. Each has different strengths. See the 7 documents to verify before buying land for what each one proves.

Check 3: The registry search

Your lawyer searches the title records at the state land registry to confirm the title exists, who holds it and whether anything is registered against it. In Lagos, that is the Lagos State Land Registry. Our guide on how to search for land at the Lagos Land Registry walks through the process.

In Rivers State, the Ministry of Lands and Survey keeps registered titles and processes Certificates of Occupancy and consent to transfers, according to the Rivers State Government. The registry charges a search fee, so confirm the current amount with your lawyer before you start.

"A genuine title in the wrong hands is as dangerous as a fake one. Check the seller as hard as you check the paper."

-Eze Maximus Chukwujindu

How do you check the land itself?

Check the land itself by having a licensed surveyor confirm the survey plan at the Surveyor-General's office, then visiting the site to match the beacons to that plan. Speak to neighbours, look for signs of disputes, and confirm the land is not set aside for a road, drainage or power line. Documents tell you what should be there. The site tells you what is.

Check 4: Survey charting

Your surveyor takes the survey plan to the state Surveyor-General's office to confirm it is genuine, registered and not affected by government acquisition. This is the check that catches land the government has already acquired for a road, school or other public project.

Check 5: Site inspection

• Visit the land yourself, and return at least once at a different time of day.

• Find every beacon and match the numbers to the survey plan.

• Check road access and how the area drains after heavy rain.

• Look for anyone already using or occupying the land.

Check 6: Neighbours and community

Ask people who live or work nearby who owns the land, whether it has been sold before, and whether there have been disputes. Neighbours often know about double sales and family quarrels long before any document shows them.

Check 7: Disputes and court cases

Ask your lawyer to confirm there are no pending court cases over the land. On site, watch for warning signs painted on walls, such as "This land is not for sale" or "Beware of fraudsters". They usually mean a dispute is already running.

Check 8: Land use and restrictions

Your surveyor should also confirm the land is not inside a road reservation, drainage channel, power line setback or other restricted zone. A plot can have a clean title and still be unbuildable.

What should you check if the land is inside an estate?

If the land is inside an estate, check that the estate itself has government approval and that the developer is properly registered, in addition to every other check on this list. An approved title for the developer does not mean the estate layout is approved. Buyers in unapproved estates can lose their plots even after paying in full.

Check 9: Estate approvals and the developer

• Ask for the estate's layout approval and confirm it with the state planning authority.

• Check the developer's company registration and completed projects.

• In Lagos, confirm the developer is registered with the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), which the state government said in June 2025 is required for all real estate practitioners, according to Nairametrics.

The risk is real. In August 2025, the Lagos State Government listed 176 estates operating without approval and warned that buyers risked losing their investments, according to Premium Times.

If you are paying before the estate is built, read whether off-plan property in Nigeria is safe for the extra checks off-plan needs.

How should you pay for land in Nigeria?

Pay for land only after every other check is complete, and only into an account in the name of the seller or company on your contract. Get a receipt for every payment that matches the names and amounts in the contract. Never pay a relative, agent or middleman's personal account, however trusted they seem.

Check 10: The payment account

• The account name must match the seller or company named in the contract.

• Pay by bank transfer, not cash, so there is a record.

• Keep every receipt, bank confirmation and message about the payment.

Check 11: The contract and deed

Your own lawyer, not the seller's, should prepare or review the contract of sale and the deed of assignment. The deed should name the correct parties, describe the land exactly as the survey plan does, and be signed by everyone with authority to sell.

Check 12: Governor's Consent and registration

Under Section 22 of the Land Use Act 1978, a holder of a statutory right of occupancy cannot transfer it without the Governor's Consent. For land that already has a C of O, your lawyer applies for consent after the sale. For family or community land without a government title, you will usually apply for a C of O in your name instead.

Budget for consent, registration and legal fees from the start. These costs are tied to the value of the land, so ask your lawyer for a written estimate before you pay for the plot.

What are the red flags that should stop a land deal?

Red flags that should stop a land deal include a seller who refuses a registry search, a survey that cannot be charted, a price far below the area's level, pressure to pay immediately, payment requested into a personal account, and family members who object to the sale. Any one of these is a reason to pause. Two or more is a reason to walk away.

Fraudsters know which checks buyers usually skip. Our guides on why Nigerians keep buying fake land and how to verify land ownership before paying a kobo show how these deals are set up.

From my desk: how I use a checklist on every land deal

When a buyer asks me which check matters most, I tell them the honest answer: the one you are tempted to skip. Most buyers who lose money did not skip everything. They did nine checks well and trusted someone on the tenth.

That is why I insist on a written checklist. Not a mental one. When it is on paper, it is obvious which box is still empty, and it is harder for anyone, including an eager seller or an excited buyer, to talk you past it.

I also tell buyers to give each check to the right person. Your lawyer handles the registry search, the contract and consent. Your surveyor handles the survey and boundaries. You handle the site visit and the neighbours. When one person tries to do everything, something gets missed.

"The check that costs you the land is usually the one you were told not to worry about."

-Eze Maximus Chukwujindu

If you want to learn how to evaluate and verify property deals step by step, the Nigerian Property Investor's Masterclass (NiPIM) takes you through the full process.