Lagos land transactions move fast. The pressure to act before "someone else takes it" is real. Vendors know this, and some use it. But the biggest errors I see are not caused by bad vendors alone. They are caused by buyers who skip the fundamentals in the excitement of an opportunity.
Here are the five mistakes I see most often, and what each one actually costs.
Trusting a survey plan that has never been at the Surveyor General's office
A survey plan is not the same as a registered survey. Anyone can draw a beautiful site plan on paper. The document that matters is one that has been submitted to, verified, and filed by the Office of the Surveyor General of Lagos State.
If a survey plan cannot be traced at the Surveyor General's office via its beacon numbers, it does not exist in the eyes of the government. You may build on that land for ten years and still lose it to someone who has a genuine registered plan for the same coordinates.
Before you pay any money, request the registered survey plan and confirm the beacons match what is on the ground. A licensed surveyor can re-survey the plot and cross-reference within 48 hours. That process costs roughly ₦150,000 to ₦250,000 and has saved buyers from losses running into tens of millions.
The practical test: Ask the vendor for the survey plan number, the surveyor's stamp reference, and the date it was registered. Then call the Surveyor General's office directly and verify. If the vendor cannot produce these three things, the survey is not registered.
Paying on a "receipt" without conducting a search at the Land Registry
A receipt is proof you paid someone money. It is not proof that someone had the right to sell you that land. Families have sold the same plot to five different buyers. Developers have collected deposits on land that is already subject to a government acquisition notice. Courts are full of cases that started with a receipt.
A Land Registry search at the Lagos State Land Registry in Alausa, Ikeja, will reveal whether the land has existing encumbrances, whether it is under any government acquisition, and who the last registered owner is. This search takes two to five working days and costs between ₦50,000 and ₦150,000 depending on legal fees. You can also use a property lawyer to conduct the search on your behalf.
Do this before you sign anything and before you pay any sum beyond a fully refundable holding deposit.
Buying excision land without understanding what excision actually means
Many affordable Lagos plots are sold on "excision." Excision means that a piece of government-acquired land has been carved out and returned to a community, typically a family or village. The key word is "has been." Past tense. Completed.
The mistake buyers make is purchasing land where excision is merely promised, pending, or under discussion. A plot where the excision has not been gazetted by the Lagos State government is still technically under government acquisition. It can be revoked at any time without compensation.
Always ask to see the Lagos State Gazette notice confirming the excision before you buy. If the vendor says "the gazette is coming" or "we are processing it," walk away. A genuine excision has already been published. Anything less is speculation at the buyer's expense.
Ignoring the difference between "family land" and "individually titled" land
In Lagos, a significant portion of land especially on the Lagos mainland, Ikorodu, Badagry, and parts of Epe is family land. Family land is owned communally by a compound or lineage and managed by family heads. The problem is that any individual family member can go and sell a plot without the consent of the others, and the transaction may look completely legitimate on the surface.
Individually titled land (C of O, Governor's Consent, or a registered deed) has a clear single owner registered with the government. That owner, and only that owner, has the legal right to transfer the land.
Always insist on a title registered in one person's or one company's name. If the vendor presents you with a family receipt or says the land belongs to "the Adesanya family," run a land search to confirm there is no individual title already issued before you proceed.
Skipping physical inspection because the pictures looked good
This is the newest and fastest-growing mistake, driven entirely by Instagram and WhatsApp marketing. A developer posts beautiful drone footage and renders. The buyer pays a deposit remotely. Six months later, they visit and find the "estate" is a plot of undeveloped bush with no road, no drainage, and no electricity within two kilometres.
Before you pay any sum, visit the land. Walk its boundaries. Look at adjacent properties. Ask residents what road access is like during the rainy season. Check how far the nearest tarmacked road actually is. Take photos and match them against what was shown to you.
If you cannot visit in person, send someone you trust. There are also independent property inspection companies in Lagos that will do a third-party site visit report for a flat fee. ₦50,000 spent on inspection is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Summary checklist before any Lagos land purchase: Confirm the survey plan is registered at the Surveyor General's office. Conduct a Land Registry search in Alausa. Verify excision has been gazetted if the vendor claims excision. Confirm individual title, not family land. Visit the site in person or through a trusted third party.
Most of these steps cost under ₦300,000 combined. The land deals where buyers skip them often end in losses of ₦2M to ₦50M and years of litigation. The math is not complicated.
If you have any doubt about a deal or want a second set of eyes on the documents before you commit, reach out. This is exactly what I do, and I do it without a fee for initial document review.
Have land documents you want reviewed?
Send them over before you commit. Initial review is a conversation, not a pitch.
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