Property Developer Due Diligence in Nigeria: CAC, Title and Site Checks
The core checks that help confirm a property developer, the land and the approval all support the same transaction.
1. Confirm the property developer at the CAC
Start with the company selling the property.
Search for the property developer through the Corporate Affairs Commission. Confirm its registered name and registration details. The name should match the company named in the contract, reservation documents and payment instructions.
If different company names appear across the documents, ask for an explanation in writing before making a payment.
2. Check the land title and plot information
A company can be properly registered without owning or controlling the land connected to a development. The land must therefore be checked separately.
Ask for the title document, plot reference and survey plan. Your solicitor should confirm that the land description matches the property being offered and check whether any registered interest could affect the transaction.
For property in Abuja, the relevant land records and legal searches are handled through the appropriate FCT land administration channels, including Abuja Geographic Information Systems.
3. Make sure the survey information matches the site
A survey plan identifies the location and boundaries of the land.
The coordinates, plot description and other details on the survey plan should correspond with the title documents and the site being presented to you. A qualified professional should verify the plan through the appropriate authority.
If the documents refer to different plots or produce different locations, the difference should be investigated rather than explained away.
4. Confirm the development approval
Land ownership and development approval are not the same thing.
Ask for the approval information connected to the project. Confirm that it covers the type and scale of development being offered and that the approved proposal corresponds with what is being built.
If the design or use has changed, ask whether the change has also been approved.
5. Keep one clear property record
Keep the company search, title report, survey information, approval records, contract, payment schedule, receipts and written correspondence together.
For buyers outside Nigeria, this record is especially important. It allows your solicitor or local representative to report what has been checked, what remains outstanding and what each document confirms.
Due diligence is not about collecting documents for the sake of it. It is about making sure the company, the land, the survey and the approval all tell the same story.
