Title Type Glossary

The Certificate of Occupancy is the ultimate legal land title in Nigeria issued by the State Governor. It legally grants the holder rights to use and occupy a parcel of land for 99 years.

ENP Verification Check: We verify C of O at the State Land Registry (e.g., Alausa in Lagos) to confirm authenticity, chart numbers, and ensure it is not revoked or under acquisition.

A Gazette is an official government publication where parcels of land officially released back to indigenous families or communities (Excision) are recorded with exact boundaries and coordinates.

ENP Verification Check: Land with a Gazette is considered one of the most secure titles to buy. Owners can subsequently process individual C of Os from a Gazette land.

An Excision occurs when the government carves out a portion of land from state-acquired land and returns ownership back to the native community or family. Once gazetted, it becomes fully regularized.

ENP Warning: "Pending Excision" means the application has been submitted but not yet approved or gazetted. ENP only lists properties with approved/gazetted excisions or backed by secure title.

A Deed of Assignment is a vital legal document that records the transfer of ownership of land from a seller (assignor) to a buyer (assignee). It must be registered at the State Land Registry.

ENP Verification Check: Every land purchase through ENP includes a legally drafted Deed of Assignment backed by a Registered Surveyor's plan.

By the Land Use Act of 1978, any subsequent transfer of land covered by a C of O requires the Governor's Consent to be legally complete and recognized by the state.

ENP Advisory: Completing Governor's Consent (perfection) secures your investment completely against double allocation or future disputes.

Committed Acquisition means the government has earmarked the land for public infrastructure (roads, schools, airports) and private individuals cannot build there. Global/Free Acquisition means land owned by the government that has not yet been committed and can later be excised.

ENP Protection: We conduct thorough charting at the Surveyor-General's office to ensure zero listed properties sit on committed government land.

A Survey Plan is a document that delineates the exact boundaries of a plot of land and gives its precise GPS coordinates. A Registered Survey is lodged with the Office of the Surveyor-General.

ENP Guarantee: Never buy land without a verified survey plan. All ENP listings feature verifiable survey numbers checked for beacon numbers and overlap issues.

Secure Escrow is ENP's payment protection model where your funds (paid via Paystack) are held safely in a dedicated escrow account during title verification (14–30 days).

Funds are only released to the seller or developer after you receive your verified documents and give final approval. If a title is found to be defective during verification, your escrowed funds are returned to you in line with our refund policy.