Land Documents Checklist: What You Must Demand Before Buying Land in Nigeria

Every year, Nigerians lose billions of naira to land fraud, most of it preventable. The people who lose money rarely lose it because they were careless. They lose it because they did not know which documents to demand and how to verify them.

Here is the checklist our surveyors and title consultants use when a client asks us to vet a property. Use it before you pay a single naira.

The Core Documents Every Land Sale Should Produce

1. Registered Survey Plan

The survey plan shows the exact location, size and boundaries of the land. It is only valid if it is registered with the Surveyor General’s office of the state where the land sits.

Verify: Take the plan to the Surveyor General’s office (or a licensed surveyor) and confirm the survey number is genuine, the plan matches the physical land, and the land is not marked as being under government acquisition.

2. Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) or Registered Title

The strongest title document. If the seller claims to have a C of O, ask to see it, then verify the title number at the Lands Bureau.

3. Deed of Assignment (or Allocation Letter)

The document transferring the seller’s interest to you. If the land was originally allocated by government, the allocation letter is expected instead.

4. Receipts of Purchase

Every previous payment should be documented. A seller who cannot show how they acquired the land usually cannot transfer good title to you.

5. Governor’s Consent (for titled land)

If the seller’s C of O is in a previous owner’s name, the transfer must have been approved, or must be approved, by the Governor. Never buy titled land without perfecting this.

The Searches That Verify These Documents

Paper is only as good as its verification. Insist on these three checks:

1. Cadastral search at the Lands Bureau / GIS, confirms ownership history, existing encumbrances, and whether the land is committed or under acquisition.
2. Survey plan verification at the Surveyor General’s office, confirms the plan is registered and the land’s status.
3. Physical inspection, walk the land, check beacons, speak to neighbours, and confirm there is no dispute or double sale.

Red Flags That Should Stop You Immediately

• The seller refuses a survey plan “because the family knows the land”
• The survey plan cannot be traced at the Surveyor General’s office
• The seller pressures you to pay before verification “because there are other buyers”
• You are told to sign a blank deed or a deed without dates
• The land is on government acquisition and the “excision” cannot be shown in a gazette
• Cash-only payments with no receipts

Buying Family or Community Land? Extra Care.

Land sold by a family or community needs the consent of all principal members, not just the eldest son or a self-appointed representative. Multiple branches of one family claiming the same plot is one of the most common dispute sources in Nigeria. Ask for the family head’s authority in writing, and verify with a search.

The 3-Question Test Before You Pay

1. Does the seller’s file contain a registered survey plan?
2. Does the Lands Bureau confirm the seller’s title and the land’s status?
3. Can every claim be verified in writing, not by word of mouth?

If the answer to any of these is no, pause. A few days of verification is cheaper than years of litigation.

Get a Professional Land Check

VETONGROUP carries out cadastral searches and land verification in Edo State and supports buyers nationwide with document review and guidance. We tell you honestly whether a property is safe to buy, before your money moves.

Request a land verification, free consultation, response within 24 business hours.