Buying Land in Nigeria: A Title Verification Checklist

Every year we meet buyers who paid in full for land that the seller could not lawfully transfer. The loss is almost always avoidable, and almost always the result of skipping verification because the price looked good.

Start with a search at the state land registry using the survey plan and any title document supplied. The search reveals the registered owner, encumbrances, and whether the land is under government acquisition or committed to a scheme.

Confirm the chain of title. Each transfer in the chain must be documented and, where required, consented to by the Governor. A break in the chain is a defect that follows the land.

Physically inspect the land with your own surveyor. Confirm the beacons match the survey plan and that nobody is in possession.

Interview the community or family vendors where the root of title is customary, and insist that every principal member of the family signs the deed.

Finally, structure payment against milestones: search clearance, execution of the deed, then delivery of documents for perfection. Never pay the full sum against a receipt.