How to verify property and sellers in Nigeria (2026)

Fact	Value	Source · as of
Right of occupancy term, FCT	Normally up to 99 years residential · 35–70 years other uses	Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S4 FAQAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources
Governor's consent (states)	Needed before selling, mortgaging, subleasing or transferring a statutory right of occupancy (Land Use Act s.22), with narrow mortgage exceptions	Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S1 Land Use Act, Cap. L5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (text in FAOLEX)Federal Republic of Nigeria (FAO FAOLEX legislation database copy) · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources
Transfers outside the Land Use Act	Null and void (Land Use Act s.26)	Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S1 Land Use Act, Cap. L5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (text in FAOLEX)Federal Republic of Nigeria (FAO FAOLEX legislation database copy) · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources
Legal search, FCT (AGIS)	₦10,000 individual file · ₦20,000 commercial file · usually 24 hours, at most 3 days	Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S3 Processes and payments requirementsAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources
Deed of assignment or gift, FCT (AGIS)	8% of the property's value; plot must be developed	Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S3 Processes and payments requirementsAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources
Power of attorney, FCT (AGIS)	₦102,000, plus ₦2,000 per extra copy	Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S3 Processes and payments requirementsAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources

How do you check who owns land in Lagos or Abuja?

This page covers title checks in Nigeria for Lagos State and the FCT (Abuja) only; run one before you pay anything. In the FCT, the land registry is AGIS (Abuja Geographic Information Systems). According to AGIS, a legal search costs ₦10,000 on a private or individual file and ₦20,000 on a commercial or organisational file, and the result is usually ready within 24 hours and at most three days. Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S3 Processes and payments requirementsAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S4 FAQAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S5 Revocation of land (public notice)Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S1 Land Use Act, Cap. L5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (text in FAOLEX)Federal Republic of Nigeria (FAO FAOLEX legislation database copy) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S16 Surveyors Information Management System: Public Surveyor Verification SystemSurveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources

For land in Lagos State, ask the Lands Bureau or an expert how to run an official search and what it costs now; we could not confirm the current fee from an official source. To find out whether a Lagos plot is under government acquisition or has been excised, check with an expert.

In the FCT, also make sure the right of occupancy is still in force. AGIS says failing to pay ground rent and other land charges can lead to withdrawal or revocation, and the FCT Minister has revoked plots for non-development under section 28(5) of the Land Use Act.

A registry search tells you what the record says. A registered surveyor then confirms that the plot on the ground matches it; you can check a surveyor's registration and licence status on SURCON's public verification system.

How do you check a seller, agent, developer or contractor in Nigeria?

In Nigeria, several of the people in a property deal can be checked against an official register online. Check before you pay, and match the name on the register to the name on the contract and on the bank account you pay into. Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S16 Surveyors Information Management System: Public Surveyor Verification SystemSurveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S17 Registration verificationCouncil for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S18 Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (home)Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S19 Register of ESVsEstate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S20 Notary Public (Electronic Notary Register)Supreme Court of Nigeria · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S32 Important Notice: NBA Introduces Digital Annual Practice Licenses for 2025Nigerian Bar Association · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S33 Commencement of payment of 2026 Bar Practising Fee (BPF)Nigerian Bar Association · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S21 Mandate and functions of SCUMLSpecial Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), EFCC · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S22 Public Search (iCRP)Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S14 LASRERA Initiative (sale and tenancy registration)Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources

Surveyors: SURCON's public verification system confirms registered surveyors, enlisted survey companies and current licence status.
Engineers: COREN confirms an engineer's or engineering firm's registration with the COREN number.
Estate surveyors and valuers: ESVARBON publishes a register of registered individuals and firms on its website.
Notaries: the Supreme Court of Nigeria keeps the Electronic Notary Register for public verification of notaries and notarised documents.
Lawyers: the Nigerian Bar Association issues a digital annual practice licence to lawyers who have paid the Bar Practising Fee, in the names enrolled on the Supreme Court's database. Ask to see it.
Developers and estate agents: SCUML lists real estate agents and estate developers among the businesses it supervises for anti-money-laundering compliance, and has an online SCUML certificate check.
Any company or business name: the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) public search works by name or RC number.
Sales in Lagos State: LASRERA says the sale of a house, flat, shop or complex must be registered with it, by buyer and seller together.

We could not confirm an official Lagos State licence check for estate agents, so ask an expert to check an agent before you pay. For an individual seller, compare their ID with the name on the registry search.

Experts you book through Motherland are independent, verified by Motherland. If you are a surveyor, engineer, estate surveyor, notary or lawyer in Nigeria, these are the registers clients abroad will ask about; you can join the expert waitlist for Nigeria.

What are the common property scams in Nigeria, and how do you avoid them?

The patterns below come from official sources in Nigeria, from Lagos State and the FCT (Abuja). We describe patterns only and never name individuals or companies. Sources · as of 12 Nov 2026NG-S24 Lagos State Taskforce on Land GrabbersLagos State Ministry of Justice · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S5 Revocation of land (public notice)Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S4 FAQAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S1 Land Use Act, Cap. L5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (text in FAOLEX)Federal Republic of Nigeria (FAO FAOLEX legislation database copy) · checked 12 Nov 2026NG-S3 Processes and payments requirementsAbuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026All sources

Land grabbing in Lagos State. The Lagos State Ministry of Justice runs a Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, which enforces the Lagos State Properties Protection Law 2016 and takes petitions from people facing land grabbing.
A revoked plot in the FCT. The FCT Minister has revoked plots for non-development, and AGIS says unpaid ground rent and other charges can lead to revocation. So papers a seller shows you may describe a right that no longer stands; run a legal search at AGIS and ask an expert to confirm the plot's status before you pay.
A sale without consent. Under Nigeria's Land Use Act, a transaction that passes an interest in land other than as the Act provides is null and void. A seller who suggests skipping consent is asking you to carry that risk.

Before you pay for land in Nigeria: run the official search, match the seller's ID to the record, have a registered surveyor visit the plot, and pay by traceable bank transfer in stages, never in cash. If land you own in Lagos State is being taken over, you can petition the task force.

Questions

How much is a land search in Abuja?

AGIS charges ₦10,000 for a legal search on a private or individual file and ₦20,000 on a commercial or organisational file. The result is usually ready within 24 hours, and at most three days.

Do you need consent to sell land in Nigeria?

Yes, in the states. Under the Land Use Act, the holder of a statutory right of occupancy needs the state Governor's consent before selling, mortgaging, subleasing or otherwise transferring it, with narrow exceptions for some mortgages. In the FCT (Abuja), ask an expert which consent applies.

What happens if I buy land in Nigeria without consent?

Under section 26 of the Land Use Act, a transaction or document that tries to pass an interest in land other than as the Act provides is null and void. Make consent part of the deal, not an afterthought.

How do I check a surveyor or estate surveyor in Nigeria?

Use SURCON's public verification system for surveyors and survey companies, and ESVARBON's register for estate surveyors and valuers. Match the name and number on the register to the person you are dealing with.

Sources

Checked 12 Nov 2026.

NG-S1 Land Use Act, Cap. L5 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (text in FAOLEX) · Federal Republic of Nigeria (FAO FAOLEX legislation database copy) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S3 Processes and payments requirements · Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S4 FAQ · Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), FCT Administration · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S5 Revocation of land (public notice) · Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S14 LASRERA Initiative (sale and tenancy registration) · Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S16 Surveyors Information Management System: Public Surveyor Verification System · Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S17 Registration verification · Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S18 Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (home) · Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S19 Register of ESVs · Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S20 Notary Public (Electronic Notary Register) · Supreme Court of Nigeria · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S21 Mandate and functions of SCUML · Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), EFCC · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S22 Public Search (iCRP) · Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S24 Lagos State Taskforce on Land Grabbers · Lagos State Ministry of Justice · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S32 Important Notice: NBA Introduces Digital Annual Practice Licenses for 2025 · Nigerian Bar Association · checked 12 Nov 2026
NG-S33 Commencement of payment of 2026 Bar Practising Fee (BPF) · Nigerian Bar Association · checked 12 Nov 2026

How to verify property and sellers in Nigeria

Key facts

How do you check who owns land in Lagos or Abuja?

How do you check a seller, agent, developer or contractor in Nigeria?

What are the common property scams in Nigeria, and how do you avoid them?

Questions

Sources

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