What to check before you buy land or property in Nigeria
In property, the buyer generally inherits the problems. Investigation before payment decides whether the deal was a good one.
Read articlePractice area
Real Estate Practice
In property, the work done before money changes hands decides whether the transaction was a good one.
Overview
What this work involves
Property carries a particular risk: the problems are often invisible at purchase and expensive by the time they surface. Defective title, undisclosed encumbrances, unapproved development and acquisition history are all discoverable, but only if somebody looks.
We act for buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and developers, with the emphasis on investigation. We tell you what we found, what we could not verify, and what that means for your risk. If we think a transaction should not proceed, we say so.
What we help clients with
The work, set out plainly.
Title investigation
Searches and verification at the relevant registries, and review of the documents in the chain of title.
Sale and purchase documentation
Preparing and reviewing contracts, deeds of assignment and completion documents.
Leases and tenancies
Commercial and residential leases for landlords and tenants, including renewal and termination.
Perfection of title
Advising on and progressing consent, stamping and registration after a transaction.
Development arrangements
Joint venture and development agreements between landowners and developers.
Property disputes
Boundary, possession, tenancy and title disagreements.
Typical matters
Examples of instructions in this area.
These illustrate the kind of work this practice area covers. They are not descriptions of specific client matters.
- Investigating title before the purchase of land or a building
- Preparing a deed of assignment and completion documents
- Negotiating a commercial lease for business premises
- Advising a landlord on recovery of premises
- Progressing governor's consent and registration after a purchase
Frequently asked questions
Questions we are asked most often.
Because the buyer generally inherits the problems. Investigation tells you whether the seller can actually transfer what they are selling, whether the land is encumbered, and whether the chain of documents holds together. It is the highest-value step in a purchase.
Perfection refers to the steps after completion, typically consent, stamping and registration, that put a transaction on the official record. Skipping it is common and creates real problems later, especially when you want to sell, develop or borrow against the property. Budget for it as part of the purchase.
Yes. A focused review of a lease is a contained piece of work, and usually worth doing before signing a multi-year commitment.
Documentation can move quickly. The searches and post-completion registration usually set the timetable, and those depend on the registry. We give you an indicative sequence at the start.
These answers are general.
They describe how things usually work, not how they will work in your situation. Requirements
and timelines change. Please take advice before acting.
Related insights
Further reading
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You will not read every word of every agreement. If you only have twenty minutes, these are the clauses where the money sits.
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