"The Developer Has a Nice Website" Is Not Due Diligence

Every week, someone in the Nigerian diaspora sends money to a developer they found on Instagram, got introduced to through a cousin, or discovered via a WhatsApp group for Nigerian investors abroad. The developer has a sleek website. There are renders of a beautiful estate. There's a payment plan that seems manageable from overseas. And somewhere between the first instalment and the handover date, things go wrong.

Not always. But often enough that this piece needs to be written.

What "Due Diligence" Actually Means in Nigeria

If you ask most diaspora buyers whether they did due diligence before purchasing, they'll say yes. What they usually mean is: they checked Google, looked at the developer's social media, maybe visited the site on their last Lagos trip, and asked a relative to "keep an eye on it." That's not due diligence. That's optimism.

Real due diligence for Nigerian off-plan property involves several specific checks, and most of them require either being physically present or having a professional in your corner who is.

Title verification first.Before anything else, you need to know what document underpins the land. A C of O (Certificate of Occupancy) is the gold standard - it means the state government has confirmed 99-year leasehold title. Governor's Consent is what you need when that C of O is being transferred from the developer to you. Some developers will sell you land under a deed of assignment without a C of O, which means you're relying entirely on the chain of title leading back to the original allocation. That chain can be broken anywhere by fraud, family disputes, or government revocation.

Ask directly: "What is the title document on this land?" If the answer is "we're processing the C of O," ask how long that's been in process. If the answer is vague, that's a red flag.

Confirm the developer has building approval.In Lagos, this comes from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA). In Abuja, development plans require FCDA approval. A developer who has started construction without approval faces revocation risk - and if the government revokes, your money doesn't automatically come back to you.

Search for court orders.A lawyer can run a search at the land registry and the courts to check for encumbrances, injunctions, or disputes on the property. This costs money and takes time. Do it anyway.

The Question Most Buyers Forget to Ask

Here's the question almost no one asks before paying: "What happened with your last project?"

Did the developer deliver on time? Did they deliver at all? Did the specifications match what was in the brochure? Did buyers receive their deeds and Governor's Consent, or are they still waiting two years after moving in?

This information exists. Other buyers have lived through previous phases of an estate. There are groups on Nairaland, Facebook, and WhatsApp where investors compare notes. Tracking down three people who bought from the same developer before you is one of the most valuable hours you'll spend.

This is also exactly whatBektuHas built - a platform for verifying developer delivery history in Nigeria. If a developer has a pattern of late delivery, title irregularities, or outright non-completion, that information is documented. Check before you commit. The few minutes it takes could save you from joining a WhatsApp group called "victims of [Developer Name] Estate."

Off-Plan Is Not Inherently Bad

Some of Nigeria's best developers sell off-plan. They use the early payment tranches to fund construction, and they deliver. Buying off-plan at the right stage with the right developer can get you a unit at 20 - 30% below what it'll sell for at completion. That's a legitimate return.

The difference between those developers and the fraudulent ones is usually not visible in the marketing material. It's visible in their track record.

The Omonile Complication

If you're buying land in Lagos - particularly in areas like Ibeju-Lekki, Epe, or parts of the Lekki axis - the Omonile risk is separate from developer fraud. Omonile refers to the indigenous families who claim traditional ownership of land that the government has since allocated. Even if your title documentation is clean, an Omonile family can show up and demand payment, threaten construction workers, or file a suit that clouds your title.

This is why you want a lawyer who knows the specific area's Omonile market, not just a general property lawyer. Some areas have active, litigious families. Others have been fully settled. Your lawyer should know the difference.

Payment Structures and Red Flags

Legitimate developers accept payment into a company account and issue receipts on company letterhead. They have an Allottees Agreement or a Deed of Contract that outlines the completion timeline, penalty clauses for late delivery, and the specific documents you'll receive at handover.

Red flags to stop everything:

- Payment to a personal account

- No written payment plan or allottee agreement

- Developer can't tell you the specific title document on the land

- No physical site you can visit (or be sent photos/video of)

- Extreme time pressure ("this offer expires in 48 hours")

- The only references are people in the developer's own marketing materials

Nigeria has many legitimate, serious property developers. The due diligence steps above are designed to separate them from the rest. Take your time. The genuine ones won't disappear while you do your checks.