What are Lagos State Laws on Land and Demolition?

When you want to buy land or a house in Lagos State, you need to go through some legal processes to acquire your Certificate of Occupancy “CofO” to buy government-approved land in Lagos to avoid demolition.

Skincare influencer Quenneth ‘Lashiskin’ took to her Instagram page with tears in her eyes, claiming that authorities demolished her house, which she bought two months ago.

In a viral video, the beautician lamented that she received a demolition notification.

“We bought the property in February, and we have been living there for two months,” she claimed.

“All the hard work, all the sleepless nights, everything… If you’re in Lagos, you know how expensive properties are in Eti Osa.”

Lashiskin’s problem has raised questions about the demolition exercises happening in Lagos.

But this is not the first time, as the government has recently demolished houses based on claims that the houses are illegally built on water surfaces.

In an interview with Arise TV, Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for the environment in Lagos State, sympathized with the victims but explained that demolishing illegal occupants of land that the government has not approved for “CofO” is for the safety of the citizens.

Based on BBC checks on the Lagos State Land Bureau website, the Certificate of Occupancy “CofO” for residential buildings (Individual Certificate of Occupancy) has a fixed term of 99 years of use after obtaining the certificate.

Agricultural Certificate of Occupancy, if you want to go into farming, has a tenure of 25 to 28 years, and Industrial “CofO” has a tenure of 35 years.

When you want to buy property in Lagos, you need to find out whether the property you want to buy is for residential, agricultural, or industrial purposes.

In this case, you will know the purpose of the land from the survey plan.

Legal process to acquire government-approved land in Lagos

According to the Lagos State Land Bureau, you need to follow some steps to acquire government-approved residential land.

For the application, you need to visit the office of the Surveyor General of Lagos State to obtain the charting perimeter survey plan for the land; you need to ascertain if the land is free from government acquisition and also ascertain if the property is within the original survey plan that the government has approved.

Then the documents will return to the Lands Bureau, and then you can proceed with the “CofO” processing. You need an application letter for the issuance of a new Certificate.

4 (four) copies of passport photographs

Valid means of Identification of the Applicant

Letter of authority

Original and photocopy of payment receipt for the application form; consent fee, stamp duty, tax, registration fee, Business premises charge (if it is industrial land), and neighborhood improvement charge.

Original and photocopy of payment receipt for the allocated land.

After this process, you need the governor’s consent through the appropriate ministry for the governor’s signature.

The requirement for the governor’s consent includes;

Complete Land Form 1C

Certified True Copy (CTC) of the root of title

Deeds of transfer (3Nos.) with clear survey plans attached.

Four Passport photographs (5×5) with a white background

Certificate of Incorporation for the Company and form showing particulars of directors.

Site photographs with the date

Site Location Sketch.

Receipt of payment for NGN 10,500.00 (Charting, endorsement, and form 1C).

Letter of Authority by the applicant and means of identification

Functional telephone line and email address

Also, the state commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, explained that whoever wants to buy land must first clear the land use purpose for the land from the government office before buying the land because the government will not give them approval.

The commissioner explained that some lands are agricultural lands and they cannot get approval for residential because that is not the purpose of the land.

He explained that people need to have their plan laid out before seeking approval from the government.

He said some people do not know what they are buying before land sellers sell land to them.

The commissioner said their ministry has mobile police officers working with them to arrest land grabbers who sell illegal land to victims.