How to Verify Land Documents in Nigeria Before You Buy

The checks we insist on before any sale

We will not sell a property without a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). In our experience a power of attorney or a deed of allocation is not a substitute for it.

In practice the verification has six parts. Your lawyer handles most of them, and your surveyor handles the survey.

• Original C of O: the most important document, and the one we will not sell without.
• Governor's consent: your lawyer confirms whether it applies and whether it has been obtained.
• AGIS search for Abuja property (Abuja Geographic Information Systems).
• Court search: a property may be under a legal dispute you cannot see from outside.
• Seller identity: the name of the person or company selling must match the C of O and the records found.
• Survey: confirms the plot matches the C of O and does not encroach on the Abuja master plan.

How long verification takes

In our experience the searches take about two working days in Asaba and three to five working days in Abuja. A property lawyer is what you are paying for here, and a survey usually costs roughly ₦100,000 to ₦500,000. See the full cost guide for every fee.

Core documents to request

Common documents include a Certificate of Occupancy, Deed of Assignment, registered survey, allocation letter, governor's consent documents, purchase receipts and previous transfer documents.

The exact document set depends on the property, location and title history. Your lawyer should tell you what is missing before you pay.

• Certificate of Occupancy or allocation document where available
• Deed of Assignment or title transfer history
• Survey plan and beacon details
• Seller identification or company registration details
• Receipts and evidence of previous payments

Where verification happens

For Abuja, verification may involve FCT land records and AGIS. For Asaba and other Delta State property, your lawyer should check the Delta State land records or the relevant issuing authority.

For a federal allocation, the issuing federal ministry or agency should be contacted to confirm that the allocation is genuine and transferable.

What Mansa Luxe does before recommending a property

We focus on properties where the ownership story and document trail can be explained clearly. We make document verification part of the buying process instead of treating it as an afterthought.

If your lawyer finds a concern, the right answer is to pause, clarify and only proceed when the risk is resolved.