26/08/2026
✅️Confirm that the seller has the legal authority to sell the land to you.
Nigerian law recognizes that family land cannot be validly sold by one member acting alone; a sale executed without the consent of the family head and other principal accredited members is void. Before paying anything, obtain a written, signed consent from all relevant family members and have a lawyer confirm, through direct engagement with the family, that this consent is genuine and complete.
✅️What if you are buying from a company?
If you are buying from a company, run a Corporate Affairs Commission search to confirm the entity is properly registered, that the person signing has actual authority to bind it, and that there is no charge or encumbrance registered against the company's assets that could complicate your transaction later.
✅️Physically verify the land.
Engage a licensed surveyor to walk the property with you, confirm that the beacons are physically present, and check that the coordinates in the survey plan correspond to what you are standing on: discrepancies here are common enough that skipping this step is one of the most frequently cited causes of post-purchase disputes.
✅️Structure your payments to match your verification.
Never release the full purchase price before your search and physical verification are complete. Where the seller or developer will accommodate it, structure payment in stages tied to concrete milestones: an initial deposit on satisfactory search results, a further tranche on ex*****on of the Deed of Assignment, and a final payment tied to consent processing or handover.
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