The buyer's due-diligence checklist (before you pay a kobo)
5 min read
A practical, step-by-step list to run on any land before parting with money.
Key points
- ✓ Do a Land Registry search to confirm the title is genuine and unencumbered.
- ✓ Engage a licensed surveyor to confirm coordinates and check for acquisition.
- ✓ Have a lawyer verify the seller's identity, authority and the root of title.
1. Verify the documents
Confirm the root of title (C of O, Deed of Assignment, excision & gazette) and run a Land Registry search. This tells you whether the documents are genuine and whether there are encumbrances — court cases, mortgages, or pending disputes.
2. Verify the land itself
Engage a licensed (SURCON) surveyor to confirm the survey plan is authentic, that the coordinates match the physical land, and that the plot is free of government acquisition.
3. Verify the seller
Confirm the seller's identity and their legal capacity to sell. For family land, insist on multiple authorised signatories and confirm their authority.
4. Check for double-selling
Ask whether the same plot or documents have been offered to anyone else. This is Nigeria's most common land fraud — and exactly what PlotSur's double-sale detection is built to catch by matching coordinates and document numbers across the platform.
5. Budget for perfection
Plan for Governor's Consent, stamp duty and registration (often ~3%–5% of value plus fees). Only a perfected title fully protects you years later.
Never pay in full before documents are verified. Use written agreements and receipts at every step.
Put this into practice
Verify documents, confirm ownership and catch double-sales on PlotSur — or hire a vetted lawyer or surveyor.