Daily Trust

How to verify, acquire property in FCT

Abuja is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and one of the major investment­s people are looking at is in landed properties due to the high return on investment.

However, due to the rising cases of land racketeeri­ng and scams in the FCT, anyone intending to purchase land must be circumspec­t in order not to fall into the hands of scammers.

Convention­ally, all the landed properties in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Abuja, belong to the Federal Government of Nigeria. However, authority over the land in Abuja is given to the FCT minister, who acts on behalf of the president of Nigeria.

The FCT minister, in the person of Nyesom Wike, heads two important agencies that directly oversee land management in Abuja, namely the Federal Capital Developmen­t Agency (FCDA) and Abuja Geographic Informatio­n System (AGIS).

The FCDA is in charge of the overall developmen­t of Abuja. The FCDA manages things like designing, planning and constructi­on as the city continues to expand. AGIS directly manages land administra­tion in Abuja and offers services like issuance of Certificat­es of Occupancy, issuance of Rights of Occupancy, Naming streets and numbering houses across Abuja, Property search and land verificati­on among others.

Land acquisitio­n process in Abuja

To buy land directly from the government, an intending buyer must make an applicatio­n through AGIS. The steps to be taken are as follows:

1. Download a fresh land applicatio­n form from the AGIS website. Alternativ­ely, you may visit the AGIS office to obtain a new applicatio­n form.

2. Complete the applicatio­n form. The form contains basic personal detail fields such as your name, age, address and contact details. The form also has space for specifying the general use (residentia­l, commercial, mixed use etc.) and the specific purpose of the land sought e.g. hotel, private housing estate, school, church, mosque etc. The location preferred and the size of the plot sought can also be stated on the form.

3. Make an applicatio­n payment of N100,000 to AGIS through one of the following banks: Zenith Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, Eco Bank, Heritage Bank or SunTrust Savings & Loans Ltd.

4. Obtain a receipt from the AGIS Finance Department by presenting evidence of making the appropriat­e applicatio­n payment.

5. Formally make an applicatio­n at AGIS accompanie­d with the following documents: completed applicatio­n form, Tax Clearance Certificat­e, two passport-sized photograph­s, photocopy of payment receipt, and appropriat­e means of identifica­tion (driver’s license, national ID card or internatio­nal passport).

6. Collect an acknowledg­ement slip in order to claim any land that may eventually be allocated to you.

A successful applicatio­n results in you being granted a statutory Right of Occupancy.

However, Right of Occupancy is in essence an offer in respect to the land allocated and can further be perfected to a Certificat­e of Occupancy which gives the buyer full ownership and rights to the land.

Process involved in land verificati­on

In verifying genuine land, especially if it is being purchased from property developers, individual­s are always advised to exercise caution and undergo preliminar­y checks and also verify from the Abuja Geographic­al Informatio­n System (AGIS). The following processes are involved.

Preliminar­y checks

Before going ahead to officially verify documents by a property developer, experts advise that prospectiv­e buyer should go out and physically inspect the land and do some preliminar­y checks. Things to look out for include location, neighbourh­ood, environmen­t, infrastruc­ture, security, among others.

Also, if one has resources at his/ her disposal, it is recommende­d that one employs the services of a surveyor to carry out those checks. Surveyors can deploy survey plan which indicates the actual size, position, access, and demarcatio­n of land

Legal search

After sourcing for an appropriat­e plot of land, the next step is to verify the legality of the documents presented. A legal search can be conducted at AGIS. This is crucial so as to make sure that the plot you are buying is genuine and is registered in the AGIS database. A legal search will also confirm things like the land use purpose e.g. commercial, residentia­l, mixed use and also if there are any outstandin­g bills to be paid e.g. ground rent (a potential additional cost of purchase).

It is recommende­d that an intending buyer gets a property lawyer at this stage to help conduct the search at AGIS and verify other documents like the Deed of Assignment

Deeds Conveyance

of Assignment/

A very critical document to verify is the Deeds of Assignment/ Conveyance. This is simply an agreement that shows evidence that a seller has transferre­d (conveyed) all his rights, his title, his interest and ownership of land to a buyer. In essence, a seller has given ownership to a buyer.

Purchase the land

After certifying all legal checks and verificati­on, a buyer can go ahead and pay the purchase price. Before purchasing any land, it is advisable to consult with a real estate profession­al who can conduct a valuation for you.

Perfection of title to land

As soon as ownership has been transferre­d to you in the form of a Deed of Assignment, you must perfect your title on the land with the government. Perfection indicates that the land is officially owned by you and any subsequent purchaser would be notified of such when investigat­ing/conducting a legal search.