Documents to check before buying property in Nigeria

The core set

• Certificate of Occupancy, or a registered conveyance forming the root of title.
• Survey plan bearing a registered surveyor's details and coordinates.
• Deed of assignment transferring from the current holder to you.
• Governor's Consent for each prior transfer, where required.
• Purchase receipts and, for estates, the allocation and payment history.
• Building plan approval and, for completed buildings, any certificate of completion.

The searches that make them meaningful

• Land registry search at the state registry to confirm the title and any encumbrance.
• Acquisition check to confirm the land is not under government acquisition or committed.
• Survey coordinate check against the state survey office.
• Physical verification: fence lines, occupation and the community position on the land.

Warning signs

• Photocopies only, with the original always 'with the family lawyer'.
• A survey plan with no coordinates or no surveyor's seal.
• A chain of transfers with a missing link or an unexplained gap in years.
• Pressure to pay a deposit before a search is completed.
• A price far below the area's market level.

Title protects your ownership; an inspection protects your money. Buyers who do one and skip the other usually discover the gap after payment.

General information, not legal advice. Title and land matters vary by state and carry real financial risk — instruct a property lawyer before you pay anything.