The important land property documents you should know as a buyer to be informed to help your purchase decision in Nigeria.
There Are Two Major Category of Land In Nigeria
A. Global Acquisition: It means a portion of land that has been assigned for government use but same land can be confirmed free for transfer back to the ancestral owner through excision process, as the case may be. Once it’s approved by government, then the land becomes excision property. It also means, the land can be bought.
B. Committed Acquisition: It means a land the government has indicated interest to use for public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads etc. This type of land cannot be bought; it is no go area for purchase and can’t be transferred back to the ancestral owner.
Examples of Land Property Documents in Nigeria
1. Excision Land Document: It is also called Free from government Acquisition Land. It means the land is approved property return to community owner and has recorded documents in the official government gazette of the state. It means the land released to owner has been announced to public. Such land property is free for public selling and purchase
2. Gazette Land Tittle: Means the land has record book where all special government details are spell out and recorded.
3. Certificate of Occupancy Title: Is the certificate of land document issued by the state government to officially leases certain area of land under the state to you for 99 years because all lands belong to government.
4. Governor’s Consent Title: It is the the state governor consent to the ownership transfer of land. Once a land with C of O is sold; the new owner must request to get new Governor Consent stamped for Him/her as the new rightful owner with His/her name updated in government database because two persons can’t have same land c of O. This is the highest property document.
According to Section 22 of the Land Use Act of 1978 as amended thus states: “It shall not be lawful for the holder of a statutory right of occupancy granted by the Governor to alienate his right of occupancy or any part thereof by assignment, mortgage, transfer of possession, sublease or otherwise howsoever without the consent of the Governor first had and obtained”
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5. Registered Survey Plan Document: It is a document that clarifies the measurement of boundary of a parcel of land to prove the identity of that land as it clearly marks and defines legal boundaries of the land as it ensures you are not buying land under government acquisition. Survey plan are usually registered at survey general’s office which is called vet copy which means your land is confirmed not under government acquisition.
6. Deed of Assignment: It is a transactional document drawn up by a real estate attorney between the current owner of a landed property and the new buyer. It shows the date the land is transferred to the buyer and all necessary details and description of the property. After getting your newly bought land Deed of Assignment, it is necessary to lodge it at the Government Land Registrar Office to ensure it’s approved for your purchase and legal according to law.