How to Conduct a Land Title Search at the Lagos Lands Registry: Step by Step (2026)

A land title search in Lagos is the process of confirming who legally owns a property, whether the title is genuine, and whether the land is free from government acquisition before you pay for it. It runs through two separate government offices: the Lagos State Lands Bureau for the registered title, and the Office of the Surveyor-General for the survey plan. Skipping either one is how diaspora buyers end up paying full price for land that turns out to be committed government acquisition or family land with no valid title.

This guide walks through the search exactly as it happens on the ground in 2026, with the offices, documents, fees, and timelines involved.

What does a land search in Lagos actually prove?

A land search proves three things: who the registered owner is, whether the land carries any encumbrance such as a mortgage or court restriction, and whether the land falls within a government acquisition. The Lands Bureau search confirms the registered title and any charges against it. The charting exercise at the Surveyor-General's office confirms the physical status of the land against the state acquisition layout. Both results together tell you whether the seller can legally transfer the property to you.

Where do you go to conduct the search?

You conduct the search at two offices, both located in the Lagos State Secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja. The Directorate of Land Registry under the Lands Bureau handles the title search and registered instruments such as Certificates of Occupancy and Deeds of Assignment. The Office of the Surveyor-General handles charting, which checks the survey plan against the acquisition records. Lagos State also runs the Lagos State Lands Information Management System (LIMS), which digitises land records and lets lawyers and surveyors request information electronically.

Step 1: Collect the property documents from the seller

Start by collecting the survey plan, the root of title, and any deed of transfer from the seller. The survey plan must show a survey number and the name of a registered surveyor. The root of title is usually a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) or a registered Deed of Assignment. If the land is family land, ask for the Excision papers and the Gazette number. Without a survey plan that carries a clear number, the charting in Step 2 cannot be done.

Step 2: Chart the survey plan at the Office of the Surveyor-General

Charting is the process of submitting the survey plan to the Office of the Surveyor-General so the land can be located on the state acquisition map. Your surveyor or lawyer lodges the survey plan, either a provisional plan or a certified true copy, and applies for a charting information certificate. The result places the land in one of three statuses: free from any government acquisition, within a committed government acquisition, or within an uncommitted government acquisition. Land that is free is safe to proceed on. Land under committed acquisition is held firmly by the government and should not be bought.

Step 3: Conduct the title search at the Lands Bureau

The title search at the Directorate of Land Registry confirms the registered owner and reveals any mortgage, lis pendens, or other encumbrance on the property. You apply for a search of the register against the title number on the C of O or the registered deed. The registry pulls the file and confirms whether the seller's name matches the registered proprietor and whether anyone else has a charge over the land. This is the step that catches a seller who has already mortgaged or sold the same land to someone else.

Step 4: Verify excision and gazette if the land is family land

If the land was sold by a family rather than held under a C of O, you must confirm it has been excised and gazetted. Excision is the formal release of land by the Lagos State Government back to the original families, and it is published in an official state Gazette with a number. Ask for the Gazette number and confirm the land falls within the excised acreage. Family land that has not been excised remains under government acquisition, which means the family had no legal right to sell it to you.

Step 5: Obtain a Certified True Copy of the result

Request a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the search result and the charting certificate so you have stamped evidence of what the registry holds. A CTC is the official, signed version of a registry document and is the form that holds up if a dispute later goes to court. Keep these alongside your purchase receipt and the executed deed.

How much does a land search cost in Lagos in 2026?

Search and charting fees are set by the Lagos State Lands Bureau schedule and are generally modest compared with the value of the land, but they change from year to year. Charting and search application fees typically run from tens of thousands of naira depending on the land size and document type, with additional charges for Certified True Copies. Because the published schedule is revised periodically, confirm the current amounts directly at the Lands Bureau or through a Lagos property lawyer before you apply.

How long does the search take?

A straightforward charting and title search usually takes a few working days to two weeks, depending on how quickly the registry locates the file. Older titles, files that predate the digital LIMS records, or properties with unclear survey numbers can take longer. Build this time into your purchase agreement so you are not pressured to pay before the results come back.

Why does the Governor's consent matter for the title?

The Governor's consent matters because under Section 22 of the Land Use Act 1978, it is unlawful to transfer a right of occupancy without the Governor's consent first obtained. The Supreme Court confirmed this in Savannah Bank v Ajilo (1989) 1 NWLR (Pt. 97) 305, holding that a transfer without consent is not valid. A clean search means nothing if the deed transferring the land to you is never taken through Governor's consent, stamping, and registration. Treat the search and the perfection of title as two halves of the same job.

Platforms like Bektu exist to make this kind of verification transparent, so buyers abroad can see what a title search should reveal rather than relying only on a seller's word.