A beautiful listing means nothing if the title is defective. In Nigeria, ownership is governed by the Land Use Act of 1978, which vests all land in each state under the control of the Governor and grants occupiers a "right of occupancy" rather than freehold. That framework makes paperwork everything — and makes forged paperwork the most common way diaspora buyers lose money.
The documents that prove a property is genuinely sellable
- Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) — the headline title granted by the state. The strongest legal protection you can hold.
- Governor's Consent — required to validly transfer, sell or mortgage land already under a statutory right of occupancy. Under Section 22 of the Land Use Act, a transfer without it is null and void.
- Deed of Assignment — the contract transferring the seller's interest to you, which must itself be registered.
- Registered Survey Plan — fixes the exact coordinates and boundaries of the plot.
- Receipt / evidence of purchase — the paper trail of legitimate payment.
- Excision / Gazette (for family land) — proof the land was officially released from government acquisition.
Why "it looks real" is a trap
Forged documents are the most frequent scam type, and counterfeit C of Os, survey plans and Gazette copies are often convincing on the surface. The giveaways — a mismatched registration number, a signature that does not tie to the registry, a survey plan whose coordinates do not match the plot on the ground — are exactly the things you cannot check from a photo on WhatsApp. They are found by physically searching the land registry and the surveyor-general's records.
The rule is simple: a document is worthless until it is verified at source. Never let a glossy file substitute for a registry search.
How merge2own handles it
Before any money is released, merge2own verifies the core title documents against the official registry on your behalf — confirming the C of O, the chain of assignment, the survey coordinates and (where relevant) the excision/gazette status. You receive the verification result, not just the seller's assurances. Because the whole process runs through the platform with funds in escrow, you are never in the position of having paid before the title was confirmed.
Photo: Blogtrepreneur — CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)?+
It is the title document granted by a state Governor under the Land Use Act, evidencing your right of occupancy over the land. It is the strongest, most traceable form of title and the best protection against competing claims.
Why is Governor's Consent important when buying land in Nigeria?+
Under Section 22 of the Land Use Act (1978), transferring land that is already under a statutory right of occupancy requires the Governor's Consent. Without it, the transfer is legally null and void — so a sale missing this consent can leave you with no enforceable title.
Can title documents be verified from abroad?+
Yes. The verification itself happens at the land registry and surveyor-general's office in Nigeria, but a regulated facilitator like merge2own can run those searches on your behalf and report the result before you pay — so you never need to travel to confirm a title.
Discussion
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