Real Estate tips: Getting a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in Lagos – Step by Step Procedure

The procedure for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in Lagos, Nigeria shown in this article is the official process as described by the Lagos State Government.

1. The Applicant should purchase and submit the application pack to the Land Use Allocation Commission (LUAC) and collect an acknowledgement slip.
2. Day Applicants collect letter of offer of allocation
3. The Applicant should pay for the allocated land within 90 days.
4. A letter of confirmation is issued to the Applicant with a plot and block number.
5. The Scheme Officer processes the application for the C of O, signs off on the file and forwards the files to ES LUAC - 5 Days
6. The Surveyor General provides Scheme Officer with digitized survey - 2 Days
7. ES LUAC approves processing and signs letter of allocation. ES LUAC signs off on the file and sends the file to the Senior Special Assistant to His Excellency, Lands (SSA Lands) - 2 Days
8. The SSA, Lands vets the entire file and sends it with a covering memo to the Permanent Secretary Lands Bureau (PS Lands) - 2 Days
9. Should the file have a query,  the message is relayed back by notification
10. The PS, Lands signs off on the memo and sends the file to His Excellency - 2 Days
11. His Excellency approves file and electronically signs the C of O - 2 Days
12. Should the file has a query, message is relayed back by notification
13. Upon approval and signing of the C of O by His Excellency, He signs off and sends it to the Deputy Registrar for further processing - 2 Days
14. The Deputy Registrar processes the file further, signs off and sends it to Registrar of Titles for final registration - 2 Days
15. The Registrar of Titles registers the C of O, signs off and request for printing of C of O - 1 Day

This process adds up to a total of 21 days.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1. Formal Letter addressed to the Executive Secretary – Land Use and Allocation Committee, Block 13, Room 4, Lands Bureau, The Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
2. Standard Allocation Form with Receipt. Lekki Pennisula Schemes, Abijo Commercial and Industrial (Form for Prime Land); other areas (Form for General).
3. Four Passport Photographs with white background.
4. Evidence of payment of Income Tax.
5. Current Development Levy (In case of company, Evidence of payment of Income Tax of Two Directors and Development Levy).
6. Survey Plan
7. All payment receipts of Land Charges
8. Vital Information Form

This information was obtained from the Lagos State official website on june, 20 2013and is subject to change by the Lagos State Government at any time without notification. You may wish to check for changes, if any, at the lands bureau in Alausa Ikeja Lagos Nigeria.