Some of the most painful losses in Nigerian real estate are not scams at all — they are perfectly "real" plots that were never legally cleared to be sold. Under the Land Use Act, land can sit under government acquisition. Until it is released, the state can allocate it for a road, a school or a drainage scheme, and anything built on it can be demolished — typically without compensation.
Excision and the Gazette, in plain terms
Excision is the formal process by which a portion of acquired land is released back to the original community. When it is approved, the released land is recorded in a government Gazette — an official register listing excised lands, usually with a specific file/Gazette number. If a seller cannot point you to a valid excision and the Gazette entry that backs it, you are not buying secure land; you are buying a dispute waiting to happen.
Why the cheapest plots are often the most dangerous
Unexcised "family land" is cheap precisely because its status is unresolved. Buyers chasing a bargain take the risk that the land will be regularised later — but if government moves first, the structure comes down. For a diaspora buyer who has sunk years of savings into a build they have never stood on, that is a catastrophic outcome.
Price is not the same as value. A plot that is 30% cheaper but carries demolition risk is not a discount — it is an uninsured bet.
How merge2own protects you
As part of verification, merge2own checks whether the land has been excised, whether a valid Gazette entry exists, and whether the plot sits within an active government acquisition or set-back. Plots that fail these checks are flagged before you commit, so your capital goes into land that is genuinely yours to build on — not into a structure the bulldozers can reach.
Photo: Gareth James — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What does "excision" mean for land in Nigeria?+
Excision is the official process of releasing a portion of government-acquired land back to the original community. Once approved, the released land is recorded in a government Gazette. Land without valid excision can be reclaimed by the state.
Can my building be demolished if the land is not excised?+
Yes. If land remains under government acquisition and has not been excised, the state can allocate it for public use and demolish structures on it — often without compensation. Confirming excision/gazette status before buying is essential.
How do I check a property's excision or gazette status from abroad?+
The checks are done against state land records and the official Gazette in Nigeria. A regulated facilitator like merge2own runs these searches as part of verification and flags any acquisition or demolition risk before you pay.
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