One acre is 4,046.86 square metres: about 6 plots of 648 sq m, or 8–9 plots of 465 sq m. Divide the acre's area by the plot area on the survey plan; a “plot” has no fixed national size. Use the tables below to compare plot sizes and 1–20 acres, allowing for roads, drainage and setbacks before estimating buildable plots. For plot dimensions in feet and metres, see land sizes in Nigeria.
How many plots in one acre, by plot size
This is pure arithmetic: 4,046.86 square metres divided by the size of the plot, and 10,000 square metres divided by the same size for a hectare.
| Plot size | Plots in 1 acre | Plots in 1 hectare |
|---|---|---|
| 450 sq m | 8.99 (about 9) | 22.2 |
| 465 sq m (50 × 100 ft) | 8.70 (8–9) | 21.5 |
| 500 sq m | 8.09 (about 8) | 20.0 |
| 600 sq m | 6.74 (6–7) | 16.7 |
| 648 sq m (standard plot) | 6.25 (about 6) | 15.4 |
| 900 sq m | 4.50 (4–5) | 11.1 |
| 1,000 sq m | 4.05 (about 4) | 10.0 |
A note on the standard plot. The standard Lagos plot is 648 square metres (18 × 36 m). The same plot is often quoted in feet as “60 by 120”, but 60 × 120 ft measured exactly is 7,200 square feet, or about 669 square metres. Either way the answer rounds to 6 plots per acre: 43,560 ÷ 7,200 = 6.05. All the units and their conversions are explained in land sizes in Nigeria.
Acres to plots: 1 to 20 acres
The number of plots in 1 to 20 acres, for the standard 648 square metre Lagos plot (18 × 36 m) and the smaller 465 square metre plot (50 × 100 ft). Half an acre (about 2,023 sq m) is about 3 standard plots.
| Acres | Square metres | Standard plots (648 sq m) | Small plots (50 × 100 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 acre | 4,047 sq m | 6.2 | 8.7 |
| 2 acres | 8,094 sq m | 12.5 | 17.4 |
| 3 acres | 12,141 sq m | 18.7 | 26.1 |
| 4 acres | 16,187 sq m | 25.0 | 34.8 |
| 5 acres | 20,234 sq m | 31.2 | 43.5 |
| 6 acres | 24,281 sq m | 37.5 | 52.2 |
| 7 acres | 28,328 sq m | 43.7 | 60.9 |
| 8 acres | 32,375 sq m | 50.0 | 69.6 |
| 9 acres | 36,422 sq m | 56.2 | 78.3 |
| 10 acres | 40,469 sq m | 62.5 | 87.0 |
| 11 acres | 44,515 sq m | 68.7 | 95.7 |
| 12 acres | 48,562 sq m | 74.9 | 104.4 |
| 13 acres | 52,609 sq m | 81.2 | 113.1 |
| 14 acres | 56,656 sq m | 87.4 | 121.8 |
| 15 acres | 60,703 sq m | 93.7 | 130.5 |
| 16 acres | 64,750 sq m | 99.9 | 139.2 |
| 17 acres | 68,797 sq m | 106.2 | 147.9 |
| 18 acres | 72,843 sq m | 112.4 | 156.7 |
| 19 acres | 76,890 sq m | 118.7 | 165.4 |
| 20 acres | 80,937 sq m | 124.9 | 174.1 |
These are whole-land figures. Roads, drainage and setbacks come out of any real layout, so expect fewer buildable plots (see below).
Hectares to plots
A hectare is 10,000 square metres, or about 2.47 acres, and it is the unit preferred in government surveys and agricultural records. One hectare is about 15 standard plots of 648 square metres, 2 hectares is about 30, and 5 hectares is about 77. With 50 × 100 ft plots, a hectare is 21 to 22 plots. If a seller quotes hectares and you think in plots, multiply the hectares by 15 for a first estimate, then check the survey plan.
| Hectares | Acres | Plots of 648 sq m | Plots of 500 sq m | Plots of 465 sq m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 1.24 | 7.7 | 10.0 | 10.8 |
| 1 | 2.47 | 15.4 | 20.0 | 21.5 |
| 2 | 4.94 | 30.9 | 40.0 | 43.0 |
| 3 | 7.41 | 46.3 | 60.0 | 64.5 |
| 4 | 9.88 | 61.7 | 80.0 | 86.0 |
| 5 | 12.36 | 77.2 | 100.0 | 107.5 |
| 10 | 24.71 | 154.3 | 200.0 | 215.1 |
| 20 | 49.42 | 308.6 | 400.0 | 430.1 |
| 50 | 123.55 | 771.6 | 1000.0 | 1075.3 |
| 100 | 247.11 | 1543.2 | 2000.0 | 2150.5 |
As with acres, these are whole-land figures before roads, drainage and setbacks. On a large farm or estate layout, the land given up to roads and common areas is a bigger share, so the buildable count drops further.
The theoretical number is not the buildable number
Six plots of 648 square metres take up 3,888 square metres, leaving only about 159 square metres of the acre for everything else. A real layout needs an access road, drainage and setbacks, and an irregular boundary wastes more. Anyone buying an acre to subdivide should expect fewer full-size plots than the table suggests, and should ask a licensed surveyor to prepare a layout before agreeing a price based on “six plots”.
The same point works in reverse. When a developer advertises an estate carved out of several acres, the roads and common areas have already come out of the land, and the plots offered may be 300, 450 or 500 square metres rather than a full standard plot.
Why sellers' “plots” differ from state to state
- No national standard. Nigeria has never fixed the size of a plot in law. Each state's survey practice, and each layout within it, sets its own.
- Government schemes versus private estates. The 648 square metre plot (18 × 36 m) is the standard Lagos plot and the one most sellers quote across much of the South-West. Private estates frequently sell smaller plots to keep the ticket price down.
- Feet versus metres. Sizes are quoted loosely in feet (50 × 100, 60 × 120, 100 × 100) and recorded in square metres, and the two do not always agree exactly.
- Half plots and corner pieces. In areas that use the standard plot, 60 × 60 ft is often sold as a half plot, and irregular corner pieces are sold as “a plot” whatever they measure.
- Farmland is different again. Agricultural land is normally quoted in acres or hectares, and sometimes in local “plots” that bear no relation to the residential standard.
Always buy by the square metres on the survey plan
Two offers of “one plot” at the same asking price are not the same deal if one plot is 648 square metres and the other is 465. Divide the price by the area: per square metre, the smaller plot costs about 39% more. Price per square metre is the only comparison that holds across sellers, estates and states.
- Ask for the survey plan before you discuss price. It states the length of each side and the total area.
- Check that the area on the survey plan matches the area in the title document and the sale agreement.
- Have a licensed surveyor confirm the beacons on the ground; rural boundaries in particular are often encroached.
- Have the plan checked against government records for acquisition before you pay.
What a survey plan contains and how it is verified is in survey plans in Nigeria; the title documents that go with it are in land document types in Nigeria. If you are buying by the acre for farming, read agricultural land for sale in Nigeria and agricultural land prices per acre.
Ready to compare real plots? Search land for sale across Nigeria, or go straight to land for sale in Lagos. Owners can list land on Cabans with the exact square metres stated, which is what serious buyers look for first.
Frequently asked questions
1 acre is how many plots in Nigeria?
One acre is 4,046.86 square metres, which is about 6 standard Lagos plots of 648 square metres (18 by 36 metres). A plot quoted as 60 by 120 feet is about 669 square metres and also gives about 6. With smaller plots of about 465 square metres (50 by 100 feet), an acre is between 8 and 9 plots.
How many square metres is one plot of land in Nigeria?
There is no single national size: a plot is a custom, not a legal unit. The standard Lagos plot, used across much of the South-West, is 648 square metres (18 by 36 metres); quoted in feet as 60 by 120, a plot is about 669 square metres. Plots of about 465 square metres (50 by 100 feet) are common in private estates, plots of 450, 500, 600, 900 and 1,000 square metres are all sold as one plot in different places, and Abuja allocates land in square metres rather than plots.
How many plots make one hectare?
One hectare is 10,000 square metres, which is about 15 plots of 648 square metres, 20 plots of 500 square metres or 10 plots of 1,000 square metres. One hectare is also about 2.47 acres.
How many plots are in half an acre?
Half an acre is about 2,023 square metres, which is roughly 3 plots of 648 square metres or between 4 and 5 plots of 450 to 500 square metres.
Can I get 6 buildable plots out of one acre?
Usually not. Six plots of 648 square metres use 3,888 of the 4,047 square metres in an acre, which leaves almost nothing for an access road, drainage and setbacks. Once a road is taken out, an acre laid out as an estate normally yields fewer full-size plots than the arithmetic suggests.
How many feet is an acre?
An acre is 43,560 square feet. It is a measure of area, so it has no fixed length and width: a square acre is roughly 209 feet on each side, but an acre can be any shape.
Is a plot the same size in Lagos and Abuja?
No. Plot sizes differ between states, between government schemes and private estates, and between layouts in the same city. Always take the area in square metres from the survey plan rather than relying on the word plot.
Related guides
Land sizes in Nigeria · Survey plans in Nigeria · Buying land in Lagos · Agricultural land for sale in Nigeria
Take the next step
Keep your research practical: search for property in Lagos, compare live options for land for sale in Lagos, or list your property on Cabans to reach active buyers and renters.
Not ready yet? Get an email when new listings go up in Lagos.