How to Verify C of O in Lagos: Complete Checklist

A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) is the strongest title a private individual or company can hold over land in Lagos State. Under the Land Use Act 1978, all land in Nigeria is vested in the state governor, and a C of O is the instrument through which the governor grants a right of occupancy to a holder for up to 99 years. When you see properties for sale in Lagos — whether a residential plot in Lekki, a terrace in Ikeja GRA, or a commercial building on Lagos Island — the C of O is the document that determines whether the seller legally controls what they are selling.

A forged, encumbered, or mismatched C of O is one of the most common sources of property loss in Lagos. This checklist covers every verification step in sequence so that by the time you pay, you have confirmed both the document and the deal.

Step 1: Collect the exact document details before any inspection

Before visiting the property, request a copy of the C of O from the vendor. Record these specific fields exactly as they appear on the document:

• C of O instrument number — the unique registration reference issued by the Lagos State Lands Bureau
• Registered owner name — must match the person or entity claiming to sell
• Property description — plot number, block, scheme, and local government area as stated on the document
• Date of issue and expiry — a 99-year lease runs from the date of issue; confirm the unexpired term
• Survey plan number referenced on the C of O — this links the title to a specific physical parcel

Any reluctance by the vendor to provide these details before a site visit is itself a red flag. A legitimate seller has no reason to withhold the instrument number on an existing C of O.

Step 2: Conduct a formal title search at the Lagos State Lands Bureau

The formal title search is the single most important verification step for any of the properties for sale in Lagos you are evaluating. It is conducted at the Lagos State Lands Bureau (Alausa, Ikeja) and confirms four things:

1. Authenticity — the instrument number is on the official registry and has not been cancelled or revoked.
2. Current ownership— the registered owner matches who is selling to you. If the C of O was sold previously but Governor's Consent was not obtained for that transaction, the registry still shows the original owner — a common chain-of-title problem.
3. Encumbrances— whether the property carries a mortgage, charge, or court-ordered restriction. Banks register their interest on a C of O when it is used as loan collateral. Buying a mortgaged property without discharging the encumbrance means you inherit the bank's claim.
4. Revocation or acquisition — whether the state has revoked the title or the land falls within a government acquisition zone.

The search is typically conducted through a licensed property lawyer who files a search request and receives an official search report. Processing time at the Lands Bureau currently runs 5–15 working days depending on workload. Budget for this cost — it is non-negotiable for any serious transaction.

Step 3: Confirm Governor's Consent on every prior transaction

This step catches one of Lagos property's most common hidden problems. When a C of O is first issued, it is registered to the original holder. Every subsequent sale of that property requires the Lagos State Governor's Consent to be formally obtained and endorsed on the title. Without it, the transaction is legally ineffective — the seller has no legally recognised power to transfer title to you.

Ask for the full chain of transactions on the property: the original C of O, and every Deed of Assignment since, each bearing evidence of Governor's Consent. If the property has changed hands twice since the original C of O and only the first transaction has Consent, the second seller cannot give you valid title regardless of what their receipt says.

Your property lawyer should trace this chain as part of the title search. Do not accept a vendor's verbal assurance that “Consent was done” without seeing the endorsed documents.

Step 4: Cross-check the survey plan against the physical plot

The C of O references a survey plan that defines the physical boundaries of the land. Two problems are common in Lagos:

• Survey-title mismatch: The survey plan coordinates describe a different parcel from the one being shown to you. This happens in both fraud (deliberately showing you Plot A while selling Plot B) and error (administrative mistakes in filing).
• Boundary encroachment: The physical plot has been partially built upon by a neighbour, or the stated dimensions do not match what can be measured on the ground.

Engage a surveyor registered with the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) to physically verify that the beacon coordinates on the survey plan match the staked boundaries of the property you are buying. For properties for sale in Lagos with high land values — Ikoyi, VI, Lekki Phase 1, Ikeja GRA — this is a mandatory step, not an optional one.

Step 5: Verify the C of O has not been used as mortgage collateral

Banks and finance companies register mortgage interests on C of O documents when they are used as collateral for loans. A C of O that has been pledged as security cannot be freely transferred until the loan is fully repaid and the bank formally discharges the charge on the title.

The Lands Bureau title search should reveal any registered mortgage. However, also ask the vendor directly and in writing whether the property is encumbered. If the vendor answers “no” and the search later reveals a charge, that misrepresentation has legal consequences — but only if you have it documented. If a mortgage exists, insist that discharge is completed and recorded at the Lands Bureau before you make final payment.

Step 6: Check whether the property is subject to a pending court order or dispute

Lagos property disputes are active and widespread. A property may be the subject of an injunction, a pending sale suit, a family inheritance dispute, or a boundary action — none of which will show on a standard Lands Bureau search. Steps to identify these:

• Ask your property lawyer to conduct a court search at the Lagos State High Court and Federal High Court registries for the property address and the seller's name.
• Speak to neighbours. Active disputes nearly always have a physical dimension — notices on the gate, police visits, or neighbourhood knowledge.
• Ask the vendor directly to disclose any disputes in the sale agreement, with a warranty clause that makes a false answer grounds for full refund.

Step 7: Confirm permitted use matches your intended development

A C of O specifies the permitted use of the land: residential, commercial, industrial, or mixed-use. Buying a property for sale in Lagos with a residential C of O and attempting to develop it as a commercial building without a change-of-use approval is a planning violation that can result in demolition notices from the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) or LASPPPA.

Confirm the stated use on the C of O matches your development plan before completing any purchase. Change-of-use applications are possible but add time, cost, and approval risk to your project.

Step 8: Structure payment to follow — not precede — verification

The most reliable protection in any Lagos property transaction is payment sequencing. Verification should be complete before significant money moves. A practical milestone structure:

• Expression of interest / holding deposit (5–10%): On signing a conditional agreement — conditional on satisfactory title search result within an agreed window (typically 10–15 working days).
• Substantive deposit (30–40%): After a clean title search result, confirmed survey alignment, and lawyer sign-off on the title chain.
• Balance: On execution of the Deed of Assignment and filing of the Governor's Consent application — or on actual possession, whichever comes first.

Any vendor who insists on full payment before the title search is complete is asking you to carry all the risk. Legitimate sellers of genuine properties for sale in Lagos understand and accept staged payment tied to document milestones.

The complete pre-payment verification checklist

1. C of O instrument number and registered owner confirmed in writing from the vendor
2. Formal title search filed at the Lagos State Lands Bureau — result reviewed by your lawyer
3. Full chain of Governor's Consent traced from original C of O to current seller
4. SURCON-licensed surveyor confirmed physical boundaries match survey plan coordinates
5. No mortgage or charge registered on the title — or existing charge formally discharged
6. Court registry search conducted — no pending injunction, suit, or family dispute on record
7. Permitted use on C of O confirmed to match your development or occupancy plan
8. Sale agreement drafted by your property lawyer with warranty clauses and staged payment milestones

Title verification is not a bureaucratic formality — it is the act that separates ownership from occupation. Every year, buyers of properties for sale in Lagos lose money, development time, and legal standing because payment moved faster than verification. This checklist exists so yours does not.

Browse properties for sale in Lagos and across Nigeria on Cabans, or read our guide on buying land in Epe: 7 red flags to check first.