Buying land from abroad is one of the biggest decisions many Nigerians in the diaspora make, and one of the easiest places to lose money. The seller is often charming, the photos look good, and the price seems fair. What you cannot see from London, Houston or Toronto is what is happening on and around that plot. This guide walks through the checks that matter before you send a single naira.
1. See the land with your own eyes, or someone else’s
Never buy land you or someone you trust has not stood on. A site visit answers questions no document can: whether the plot exists where the survey says it does, whether someone is already building on it, whether it floods, and whether the access road is real. Ask for a video walk of the boundaries, with the beacons (the concrete survey markers) shown clearly, and the GPS location recorded on the day.
2. Ask for the documents, then check them
At a minimum, ask the seller for:
- The survey plan, showing the plot’s coordinates and the surveyor’s details.
- Proof of the seller’s title, such as a Certificate of Occupancy, a registered deed, a Governor’s Consent, or for family land, the family’s authority to sell.
- A receipt trail showing how the seller came to own it.
Documents can be forged or out of date. A search at the state land registry, and a charting of the survey coordinates at the Surveyor General’s office, show whether the land is registered to the person selling it and whether any part of it falls on land the government has acquired.
3. Look for government acquisition and demolition risk
Some of the most painful losses happen when land turns out to sit on government-acquired land, a road reserve, a drainage channel or a setback. These plots can look perfectly ordinary. The charting search above is the key check, and it is worth asking neighbours and local officials whether demolition notices have been served nearby.
4. Ask the neighbours
People living around the plot know things documents do not: family disputes over ownership, previous buyers who were chased away, or "omo onile" land-grabbers demanding fees before anyone can build. A few polite conversations on site can save years of trouble.
5. Check for court cases
Land that is the subject of a court case can be frozen for years. Ask the seller directly, ask neighbours, and where possible have a lawyer search for suits relating to the land or the family selling it.
6. Use a lawyer for the transaction
Once the checks look good, a lawyer should prepare and review the deed of assignment or contract of sale, and handle registration of your interest. Pay into accounts that match the documented owner, never into a third party’s account, and keep every receipt.
How Pamojo helps
Pamojo visits the plot for you, films the boundaries and beacons, records the location, gathers copies of the documents, asks the questions locally and gives you a written report of what we found. We can also coordinate the registry searches and work alongside your lawyer or surveyor. A Pamojo check is evidence to help you decide. It is not a legal guarantee of title, which is why we always recommend a lawyer for the final steps.
