C of O vs Governor’s Consent vs Survey in Lagos | Bisbol Realty
Meta description
A plain guide to Lagos land papers — survey, gazette, deed, Consent and C of O — so you know what you are buying.
Excerpt
People say “the title is ready.” Ready is not a document. These five papers are.
A listing that says “documented land” can mean five different things. Only one of them is a C of O. Mix them up and you will overpay for a receipt.
Survey plan
This is the map of that plot: size, beacons, coordinates. A licensed surveyor draws it. The Surveyor-General’s office can chart it to see if the land sits on government acquisition or overlaps another file.
No survey = you are buying a speech. A survey alone is not ownership. It only answers: where is the land, and is that drawing real?
Excision / gazette
A lot of Ibeju-Lekki and outer Ajah land started as community land. Government must excise it and publish that in a gazette before private sale is clean.
“Excision in process” is not a title. If the gazette is missing, the state can still treat that ground as acquired. Check the gazette and that your coordinates fall inside the excised area.
Deed of Assignment
This is the contract that says the seller is handing their interest to you. It needs a root — the paper the seller themselves holds. A deed on top of family land with no excision is a letter, not a fortress.
Governor’s Consent
When land already has a C of O and it is sold, Lagos requires the Governor’s approval of that transfer. No Consent, the sale is not perfected — even if you have paid and you have keys.
Consent is not “optional finishing.” It is the step that makes the new name count.
Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)
This is the strongest everyday title a buyer wants. The state recognises your right to occupy that land, usually for 99 years on residential use.
- Individual C of O — in your name, for that plot.
- Global C of O — the estate or community holds one umbrella title; your plot sits under it. Still serious if the estate is real and your allocation is on the file.
- A photocopy of somebody else’s C of O is not your C of O.
Banks and careful buyers rank safety roughly like this: individual C of O → clean global C of O estate plot → excised and gazetted land with a proper deed → unregistered family paper (avoid).
What to ask before you transfer
- Which of the five papers is this listing?
- Can my lawyer search it at Alausa?
- Will you write the title type on the allocation letter?
- Who is the money going to — company or “my brother’s account”?
If they cannot answer 1 in one sentence, do not answer with a deposit.
Bisbol line
We put the title on the listing: survey, gazette, Consent, C of O or building approval. If it is not named, it is not for sale.
WhatsApp 0806 955 1189 — send the document, not the flyer.
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