Practice area 05
Real estate and construction
Checks before you pay, consent before you build, and contracts that keep a project on schedule.
Land in the FCT is valuable, and so it attracts fraud. Before a client pays for a plot we search the land registry, check that the survey plan matches the coordinates, confirm the allocation and look for court cases over the land. These checks cost a small share of the price and they save families and companies from losing everything.
We act on residential and commercial purchases, leases, developer agreements, estate schemes and mortgage transactions. We also obtain the ministerial consent that a transfer of a statutory right of occupancy requires, and we follow it up desk by desk.
Our construction team drafts building contracts, consultancy appointments and bonds, and advises when a project runs late or over budget. We would rather solve the problem on site than in court.
The practice
Services, process and example fees
Due diligence
Registry searches, survey checks, site visits and a plain-English title report.
Transactions
Contracts of sale, deeds of assignment, leases and escrow arrangements.
Consent and perfection
Applications for consent, payment of charges and registration of the deed.
Development
Joint venture and developer agreements between landowners and builders.
Construction
Building contracts, bonds, variations and claims.
- Days 1 to 3
Instruction and documents
You send what the seller gave you. We open the file.
- Days 3 to 10
Searches and site visit
Registry search, survey check and a visit with your surveyor.
- Report
Title report
A clear view of the risks and what to negotiate.
- Completion
Transfer and consent
Deed, payment through escrow, consent and registration.
| Service | Scope | Example fee | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title due diligence | One plot, FCT | ₦450,000 | 7 to 10 working days |
| Purchase completion | Contract, deed and escrow | From ₦900,000 or 1.5 percent | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Consent and registration | Application and follow-up | ₦600,000 plus government charges | 3 to 9 months |
| Lease drafting | Commercial lease | ₦400,000 | 1 week |
Example rates for this demo, plus VAT at 7.5 percent and government fees at cost.
Selected matters
Recent work (examples)
Stopped a client paying ₦185m for a plot in Katampe after searches showed two competing allocations (example matter).
Documented a 120-unit estate scheme in Lugbe, including off-plan sales terms and escrow (example matter).
Negotiated variations on a hospital construction contract after a design change, keeping the project on site (example matter).
Runs title due diligence, consent applications and development agreements across the FCT, Nasarawa and Niger States, with a team that knows every land registry desk by name.
The team
Who leads your real estate matter
Partner
Ngozi Eze-Bassey
Real estate and construction
Associate
Uchenna Nwosu
Corporate and commercial
How we staff it
Ngozi leads and signs off every piece of advice. Uchenna runs the matter day to day and is your first call. A pupil or NYSC member supports research and filings, supervised at every step.
If your matter touches other areas, Ngozi brings in the right partner and keeps one fee estimate.
Questions
Asked often
What should I bring for a land search?
The offer letter or allocation paper, the survey plan and anything the seller has given you. Our client guide has a full checklist.
Is a power of attorney enough to buy land?
It can be risky. We check whether the donor still has the right to sell and whether consent has been obtained.
Do you work outside the FCT?
Yes, in Nasarawa and Niger States regularly, and elsewhere through trusted local counsel.
Can you hold the purchase money?
We arrange escrow with a bank so that the seller is paid only when title is confirmed.
Related
Areas that often work alongside this one
01
Banking and finance
Loans that close on time, security that holds when it is tested, and fintech licences that let you launch.
02
Dispute resolution
Litigation, arbitration and mediation, run with a plan, a budget and an honest view of your chances from the first meeting.
03
Private client and family
Wills, trusts, letters of administration, divorce, custody and family business succession, handled with.
Consultations
Book a consultation with the right partner
Forty-five minutes, in chambers in Gwarinpa or by video, for ₦50,000 (example rate), credited to your first invoice. We run a conflict check before we meet.
