Buying Land in Lagos From Abroad — A Step-by-Step Guide
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Understanding why title verification matters, which we covered in the previous episode, is only half the picture. The other half is knowing how to actually execute a land purchase when you are not physically present in Lagos, cannot easily attend a site visit on short notice, and are relying on a mix of phone calls, digital documents, and trusted intermediaries to complete a transaction that, in an ideal world, would happen in person. This episode lays out that process in practical, sequential terms.
Step one: establish a proper Power of Attorney
Almost every successful diaspora land purchase involves granting Power of Attorney to someone in Nigeria to act on your behalf for specific, defined purposes: attending site visits, collecting documents, liaising with the Land Registry, and signing routine paperwork that does not require your physical presence. This document should be drafted by a qualified lawyer, not adapted from a generic template found online, and it should specify clearly what the attorney is and is not authorised to do.
A critical principle here, one I cannot overstate, is that the person holding your Power of Attorney should ideally not be the same person negotiating price or sourcing the deal. When one individual controls both the search for the property and the legal authority to act on your behalf, the checks and balances that protect you begin to collapse. This does not mean you cannot use a trusted relative. It means the roles within the transaction should remain separated, even among people you trust.
Step two: engage independent professionals, before you fall in love with a plot
The instinct for many diaspora buyers is to find a property first, get emotionally invested in it, and only then start asking about verification. Reverse this order. Engage a registered estate surveyor or property lawyer independent of any seller or agent before you commit to a specific plot, so that professional has no incentive to rush your decision or overlook red flags to close a deal.
This professional becomes your primary point of contact for everything covered in Episode Three: the Land Registry search, confirmation the land sits outside government acquisition, and physical site verification against the documents presented.
Step three: negotiate with full information, not urgency
Once verification is complete and the land is confirmed clean, negotiation can begin. Diaspora buyers are frequently quoted premium prices, sometimes explicitly, sometimes through inflated "diaspora rates" built into the initial asking price. Having an independent local professional involved in negotiation, someone who understands current market rates for the specific area, is one of the more effective ways to avoid overpaying, separate entirely from the question of title safety.
Resist any pressure framed around urgency, phrases like "another buyer is interested" or "the price increases next week." Legitimate sellers with genuine title rarely need to manufacture time pressure to close a sale.
Step four: structure payment properly
Payment should always move through traceable, bank-to-bank transfer, never cash, and never in instalments paid before the corresponding legal milestone is reached. A common and reasonable structure involves an initial deposit after verification is confirmed, with the balance paid upon execution of the Deed of Assignment and initiation of Governor's Consent processing. Keep every transaction record, receipt, and correspondence, not because you expect problems, but because thorough documentation is what allows problems, if they arise, to be resolved quickly.
Step five: execute the Deed of Assignment and process Governor's Consent
The Deed of Assignment formally transfers the seller's interest in the property to you and should be prepared or reviewed by your independent lawyer, not simply provided by the seller's side for signature. Immediately following execution, Governor's Consent should be applied for through the appropriate Lagos State process. This step is frequently neglected by buyers eager to consider the transaction "done" once money has changed hands, but an unconsented transfer of already-titled land leaves your ownership legally incomplete.
Step six: register the transaction and secure the property physically
Once consent is obtained, ensure the transaction is properly recorded, and take practical steps to secure the land itself, typically fencing or clear boundary marking, along with a local point of contact who can periodically confirm the property remains unoccupied and undisturbed. Vacant, unfenced land in a fast-growing area is, unfortunately, more vulnerable to encroachment, and prevention is considerably less costly than a later legal dispute over boundaries or occupation.
Working with family members: a candid note
Many diaspora buyers instinctively route the entire process through a trusted family member in Lagos, treating that person as surveyor, negotiator, and legal representative all at once. I understand the impulse, and in many cases family involvement is genuinely valuable for local knowledge and trust. But a family member is rarely also a licensed estate surveyor or lawyer, and involving one does not replace the need for independent professional verification. The healthiest structure I have seen combines both: trusted family for local presence and relationship continuity, alongside independent licensed professionals for the technical and legal work.
Timeline expectations
A properly conducted purchase, from initial search through registered Deed of Assignment, typically takes longer than buyers expect, often several weeks to a few months depending on registry processing times and the complexity of the title. Buyers who feel rushed toward a faster timeline should treat that pressure itself as a signal worth examining closely.
A reflection
Buying land from abroad will never feel as simple as buying it in person would. Some of that friction is unavoidable, a function of distance and differing systems. But friction is not the enemy here. The enemy is the shortcut taken to remove that friction artificially, whether that means skipping independent verification, concentrating too much authority in one person, or paying before the corresponding legal step is complete. A process that takes an extra month and produces a fully verified, properly registered title is not slow. It is simply thorough, and thoroughness is what protects the investment you are mnbaking on behalf of your future and your family's.
In the next episode, we examine off-plan property investment specifically, a category that combines real opportunity with a distinct set of risks every diaspora buyer should understand before committing.
For more insightful and informative content, visit JermaineSanwoOlu.com.
This article is for general educational purposes and does not constitute personalised legal, tax, property, or financial advice. Investors should obtain independent professional advice appropriate to their circumstances.
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