Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, head of the Lagos State Office of Diaspora Affairs (LASDA), has outlined six essential operational rules for purchasing landed property in Lagos state from overseas.
Executing a property transaction in Lagos without a physical presence often introduces severe friction, anxiety, and legal vulnerabilities.
For Nigerians living in the diaspora, investing in real estate back home remains one of the most compelling avenues for wealth preservation and long-term security.
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However, distance inevitably forces remote buyers to rely on digital documents, phone calls, and local representatives without a physical presence which often introduces severe friction, anxiety, and legal vulnerabilities.
“There are times when you can’t drop everything for a site visit and are relying on phone calls, digital documents, and trusted people on ground to get things done for you the right way,” Sanwo-Olu noted, addressing the reality facing international buyers.
When shortcuts are taken to artificially eliminate this friction, investments are placed at grave financial risk. While a process taking several weeks or months to yield a fully verified and registered title is often perceived as slow, it is, in reality, thorough, and thoroughness remains the ultimate shield for diaspora capital.
As Sanwo-Olu emphasised, “The shortcut taken to remove the friction artificially is the real enemy. A process that takes an extra month and produces a fully verified, properly registered title isn’t slow. It’s simply thorough, and thoroughness is what protects everything you’re building.”
To navigate these complexities, diaspora buyers must adopt fundamental operational principles to guarantee safety, transparency, and value when purchasing land in Lagos:
Legally-binding document for a trust representative on the ground
The foundational step for any remote buyer is executing a custom, legally binding Power of Attorney (POA) drafted by a qualified lawyer, not a generic template downloaded online.
This document clearly defines the exact scope of authority granted to a trusted representative on the ground, such as attending site visits, retrieving physical documents, and liaising with land registries.
Crucially, the person holding your Power of Attorney must not be the same individual sourcing the deal or negotiating the price. “When one individual controls both the hunt for the property and the legal authority to act for you, the checks and balances that protect you start to collapse,” Sanwo-Olu warned. “You can absolutely use a trusted relative. Just keep the roles separated.”
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Retain independent professionals before falling in love with a property
Engagement with technical experts must happen before emotional attachment sets in.
Buyers should retain an independent registered Estate Surveyor and Valuer, along with a legal practitioner, at the very beginning of the search process.
“Engage independent professionals before you fall in love with a specific plot, not after,” advised Sanwo-Olu. “Get your asset surveyor and valuer or lawyer involved before you’re emotionally attached to a piece of land or property so they have zero incentive to rush you or wave away red flags just to close the deal.”
Negotiate on verified market information, not manufactured urgency
Diaspora buyers are routinely targeted with inflated prices baked directly into asking amounts.
Having an independent local professional in the room, someone with precise knowledge of current market benchmarks for that specific neighborhood, is the most effective strategy to avoid overpaying.
Further, buyers must resist pressure tactics built around artificial urgency. “Diaspora buyers are frequently quoted premium prices, sometimes an explicit diaspora rate baked right into the asking price,” Sanwo-Olu observed. He urged buyers to resist false sales pressure, noting that “legitimate sellers with genuine title rarely need to manufacture that kind of pressure.”
Structure payments around strict legal milestones
Cash transactions should be strictly avoided in favor of direct bank-to-bank transfers. Payments should never be disbursed in advance of the specific legal milestones to which they are tied.
“Bank-to-bank transfers always. Never cash. Never installments paid ahead of the legal milestones they are tied to,” Sanwo-Olu cautioned. He recommended a balanced approach: an initial deposit upon verified title confirmation, followed by the balance upon execution of the Deed of Assignment and initiation of Governor’s Consent. “Keep every record, not because you expect trouble, but because good documentation is what lets trouble, if it comes, get resolved quickly.”
Execute the deed of assignment and pursue governor’s consent immediately
A common pitfall for diaspora investors is treating a property transaction as complete the moment funds are transferred. Relaxing at this stage exposes the buyer to significant legal risk.
“This is where a lot of buyers relax too soon, treating a transaction as done once money has moved,” Sanwo-Olu pointed out. Under Lagos State land laws, an unconsented transfer of titled land leaves ownership legally incomplete. Buyers must ensure that the Deed of Assignment is executed immediately following payment and that the application for Governor’s Consent is launched without delay to perfect legal title.
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Secure the physical boundaries and formally register the title
Legal ownership must be matched by physical possession. Unfenced, vacant land in rapidly developing corridors of Lagos is inherently vulnerable to encroachment and unauthorized resale.
“Register the transaction and physically secure the land, fencing, clearing boundaries, and having a local contact who checks in periodically,” Sanwo-Olu stressed. “Vacant, unfenced land in a growing area is more vulnerable to encroachment, and prevention is a lot cheaper than a legal dispute after.”
Balance family involvement with professional expertise
While it is natural for diaspora buyers to lean heavily on relatives back home, Sanwo-Olu urged investors to strike a balance between trust and professional competence.
“Most diaspora buyers instinctively root everything through a trusted relative in Lagos, treating them as surveyors, negotiators, and legal representatives all at once,” he explained. “Family involvement genuinely adds value, local knowledge, continuity, and trust. But a family member is rarely also a licensed asset surveyor and valuer or a lawyer.
The healthier structure combines both: trusted family for local presence, and an independent licensed professional for the technical and legal work.”
