A seller sends you a Certificate of Occupancy, a survey plan and a deed. The names look familiar, the paperwork looks substantial, and you are told the land has already been verified. Before treating that as a reason to pay, ask what was checked, against which records, and for which parcel.

Each part of a land investigation answers a different question. Reading a deed is different from checking its official record. Checking a survey is different from establishing the seller’s authority. A useful report explains the findings and the questions still open.

This guide focuses on Lagos. The broader need to investigate applies across Nigeria, but the relevant offices, records and procedures depend on the location and nature of the interest being sold.

A familiar document name is the start of a question

Ask your lawyer to explain what interest the seller claims, where it came from and how the available documents support that history.

• Certificate of Occupancy: What to investigate: The recorded holder, parcel, grant terms and relevant official record. What its presence alone does not settle: Subsequent dealings or the present seller’s unrestricted authority.

• Deed of Assignment: What to investigate: The interest described, parties, earlier title and applicable formalities. What its presence alone does not settle: Whether the assignor had the interest they purported to transfer.

• Survey plan: What to investigate: Location, dimensions, coordinates and correspondence with the site. What its presence alone does not settle: The seller’s legal right to dispose of that land.

• Purchase receipt: What to investigate: Who paid whom, for what and when. What its presence alone does not settle: The complete title history or absence of competing claims.

Lexforte Attorneys’ Lagos document guide explains these different roles and the need to investigate the chain of title. Treat the documents as material to examine together, rather than choosing one whose name sounds most reassuring.

For example, a C of O in an earlier holder’s name calls for an explanation of the later transfers. The mismatch needs investigation; it does not, by itself, tell you whether the current seller is entitled to sell.

Establish what the search actually covered

A registry search can help your lawyer investigate the records associated with a particular property. Request the written result, its date, the identifiers searched and any relevant supporting copies. Ask the lawyer to explain any recorded interests or inconsistencies affecting the proposed purchase.

Then establish the limits. Did the search cover the correct file and parcel? Were all the relevant documents available? Which questions require another enquiry? A report based on particular records should not be treated as confirmation that no unrecorded claim or later event could affect the property.

DLA Piper REALWORLD’s Nigeria guidance, updated in April 2026, describes due diligence as extending to the interest being sold, third-party rights, remaining term, use and regulatory matters, and the seller’s capacity. That scope is wider than a single document-authentication exercise.

If someone offers an online “verified” result, ask what official record it represents and what can be retained as evidence. This guide does not assume that a particular portal is available or that a screenshot replaces the enquiries appropriate to your transaction.

Match the paperwork to the ground

An investigation also needs to establish that the documents relate to the land you have been shown. Ask a registered surveyor to identify the parcel and reconcile the survey information with the site and the relevant official records.

A hypothetical example shows why this matters: a seller supplies documents for Plot A but takes you to a nearby Plot B. Even an authentic document for Plot A leaves the proposed purchase of Plot B unexplained.

Ask separately about acquisition status. Lagos’ official Lands Multipurpose Desk describes its Land Information Certificate service in relation to freedom from state government acquisition. That is a specific question; it does not cover every possible defect in a seller’s title. Have the professionals establish the scope and current requirements of the relevant enquiry.

On a site visit, record occupied areas, fences, access routes, boundary markers and any visible conflicting claims. Neighbours’ accounts can identify matters to investigate. Neither those accounts nor your visual impression substitutes for the survey and legal work.

Confirm who can act for the seller

The person showing you land may be an agent, a company representative, a relative or someone acting for an estate. Ask your lawyer what evidence establishes their authority to act and which parties must participate in the transaction.

Depending on the circumstances, further enquiries may involve company records, estate documents or court records. Greychapel Legal’s Nigerian real-estate guide, section 2.4, identifies these as possible parts of due diligence alongside the lands registry and physical inspection. The appropriate enquiries follow the seller and title history; they are not an identical checklist for every purchase.

Consent and registration also need to be addressed for the particular interest and transaction. Sections 21 and 22 of the Land Use Act contain different provisions for customary and statutory rights of occupancy. Ask your lawyer to explain the applicable approvals, documents and sequence before agreeing how the transaction will proceed.

Companion Note: Companion Guide: Lagos Transaction Budgeting Once you have established the chain of title and required approvals, you will need to budget for the associated state valuation charges. Read our companion guide: Lagos’ 2026 Blue Book: What Buyers Should Budget For to understand how the revised Fair Market Value benchmarks affect consent fees and registration.

Ask for a conclusion you can use

A file containing many documents is easier to assemble than a clear explanation of what they establish. Before committing money, request a written account of the investigation that answers:

1. Which parcel and interest are being offered, and how were they identified?

2. What supports the seller’s title history and authority to act?

3. Which official records were checked, when, and with what results?

4. Which contradictions, third-party interests or missing records remain unresolved?

5. What further work, approvals or conditions are needed before proceeding?

For a developed property, also establish what separate planning, building-condition or other professional enquiries your intended use requires. A title investigation does not inspect the structure or establish that every aspect of an existing building complies with its approvals.

If an important answer is missing, ask what evidence would resolve it and let that inform the next commitment. A promise that the papers will be sorted out later deserves a precise explanation of the work, responsibility and contractual arrangements involved.

At BrickForte, we want buyers to understand the basis of a property decision. Put legal and survey enquiries into the purchase budget from the start, and ask for findings you can discuss with your advisers. The useful outcome is a clearer account of what has been established, what remains uncertain and what that means for this transaction.