Land titles are formal documents that show and outline the right of ownership on a piece of property.

Apart from being used to confirm ownership of a property, Land titles help prospective buyers and landowners understand their rights and boundaries. The controversy over ownership of land in Nigeria is extremely high even among family members, daily people go to the Nigeria High Court to settle Land Disputes.

To avoid this, one of the first questions you should ask before you buy land is the title on the land, you should also understand the key title documents that prove ownership of a property.

Below Are Some Land Title Documents, You Need To Know In Nigeria.

1. *Survey Plan:* A survey plan details the exact measurement and description of the land, it includes its length and breadth. It also helps to reveal if the land is under any government acquisition, which is also known as committed land.

A committed property is one that the state or federal government has earmarked for a particular project so to avoid conflict with the government, every land must be surveyed by a certified surveyor, and a survey plan submitted for approval.

2. *Deed of Assignment:* This is a document that shows you are the new owner of the property. It is a vital document that should not be overlooked. It is also referred to as ‘deed of conveyance ‘ which means the process of transfer of ownership.

It shows evidence that the seller has transferred all ownership, rights, and title on the land to the buyer. The deed of Assignment contains very important information like the date the land was transferred to a new owner and a clear description of the land.

After the exchange of the deed between both parties, it has to be recorded in the land registry to show legal proof that the land has exchanged hands.

*Difference Between Deed of Assignment and Deed of Conveyance.* There is no much difference between a Deed of assignment and a conveyance deed, but the significant difference is that a deed of Conveyance can transfer the legal title of the property’s ownership from one individual to another in the form of a mortgage, lease, gift, etc

A deed of assignment on the other hand is primarily based on transferring ownership through sales from one person to another.

3. *Excision*: Excision is the process of the government releasing an allotment of land back to the original owners for commercial and residential developments and activities. A family or individual interested in that land can process an excision approved by the government, and documentation for the land can be processed to the governor’s consent level. When the excised land is declared in the government official gazette such land is said to have *GAZETTE* as the title.

The Gazette then becomes the title of the land.

A gazette is a legal record book that explicitly details the characteristics of a parcel of land that has been excised and recovered by the family or community.

The name of the community and details of the land used in the excision process will be included in this document.

*Differences between Excision and Gazette* Excision features the community granted land for commercial or residential purposes while a Gazette details all necessary information including the special government details such as the village or family accorded the rights, the acres of land, and the purpose of the land among others.

Without a Gazette, an excised land can be seized or revoked from the owners. Hence, a Gazette is superior and must be gotten for security purposes.

4. *Certificate of Occupancy:* This is a document that shows the owner has been given legal permission from the executive government of the state to occupy a property.

It is mostly known as C of O. It is a very important land title, widely used to resolve land disputes that arise from ownership tussles. It is accepted as a security or collateral for loans from banks and other financial institutions.

5. *Governor’s Consent:* This document is essential for your real estate transaction to be deemed legal, as the name implies it is a document that shows the governor’s approval of a land transaction.

The initial owner of virgin land is qualified to obtain a C of O but every subsequent buyer of that land is required to get a governor’s consent because there can only be one owner of the certificate of occupancy (CofO).

If a property does not have your name on its title, another person can legally claim that property even if the property belongs to you but as long as you possess the relevant title documents recognized by the government then you have nothing to worry about because the office of the LAND REGISTRY records all legally recognized LAND TITLES.

Contact us TODAY for a free Consultation, on how to go about your Land Documents