Buying property in Nigeria involves more steps than many buyers expect — and the steps that get skipped are almost always the ones that cause disputes later. This guide walks through the full process so you know what to prepare at each stage.
Step 1: Identify the property and confirm the title details
Before money changes hands, confirm the name of the seller, the title type (C of O, registered Deed of Assignment, or other), the property description, and that the physical property matches the documents. Ask to see the title document before agreeing a price. If the seller cannot produce a title document, that is information you need before negotiation begins — not after.
Step 2: Agree on price and put the terms in writing
Once you agree a price, document the key terms before any signatures. A letter of offer or heads of terms should set out the purchase price, payment schedule, documents to be delivered, and the timeline for completion. This is not yet the sale agreement, but it creates a shared reference that reduces later disagreements about what was actually agreed.
Step 3: Hire a lawyer and complete due diligence
Hiring a property lawyer is the single most important decision in a Nigerian property transaction. Your lawyer will conduct a land registry search to confirm title and check for encumbrances, verify the identity of the seller against registry records, review the survey plan for boundary consistency, and draft or review the sale agreement and Deed of Assignment.
Legal fees in Nigeria are negotiated directly with the lawyer and typically range from around 5% to 10% of the transaction value for comprehensive engagement. This cost is small relative to the protection it provides — title defects caught at due diligence cost nothing to address; title defects discovered after payment are far more expensive to resolve.
Step 4: Sign the sale agreement and Deed of Assignment
The sale agreement sets out the conditions for the transaction. The Deed of Assignment is the instrument that formally transfers the interest of the seller to you. Both must be executed by both parties. The date of execution triggers your 30-day window to pay stamp duty — do not delay the next step once documents are signed.
Step 5: Complete perfection — consent, stamping, and registration
Perfection is what converts a signed document into an enforceable registered title. Your lawyer submits for Governor consent, pays stamp duty to FIRS, and registers the perfected deed at the state Land Registry. Timelines vary: Lagos registry processing can take several months depending on document completeness and registry workload. Build time buffer into your possession and financing plans rather than assuming a fixed completion date.
Step 6: Post-closing obligations
After registration, complete the administrative tail of the transaction: register for Land Use Charge in Lagos, notify utility providers, update estate management records, and store certified copies of all transaction documents securely. These steps are easy to defer — completing them at closing prevents backlogs that create problems when you later sell or refinance.
How long does the buying process take in Nigeria?
A straightforward transaction from accepted offer to completed registration typically takes 3 to 12 months. The wide range is driven almost entirely by registry processing times and whether title documents are complete and consistent from the start. Transactions with clean, complete title filed promptly tend toward the lower end. Transactions with title gaps or inconsistent names across documents can take significantly longer.
The shortcuts that cause the most problems
- Paying in full before due diligence completes. Once money is paid, your position to demand title corrections weakens significantly.
- Skipping the land registry search. A registry search is the only reliable way to confirm clean title and the absence of encumbrances.
- Not completing perfection. A signed deed without consent, stamping, and registration is not fully enforceable against third parties.
- Accepting verbal assurances about title. Ownership in Nigeria is established by documents and registry records — not by reputation or location.