Regularization & Ratification: Fixing Imperfect Title in Lagos

TL;DR: Regularization (also called ratification) is how you ask Lagos State to give you a proper title when you bought or built on uncommitted government land without lawful authority. If the land is in a committed area, on a road alignment or against planning rules, it cannot be regularized. Get the land charted first, then apply through the Directorate of Land Regularization at the Lands Bureau — this is general information only, not legal advice.

If you bought land from a family or an agent and later discovered it falls under government acquisition, regularization is usually the first option a lawyer will mention.

I see this a lot in developing parts of Lagos, from older plots in Surulere to newer layouts around Ibeju-Lekki and Badagry. The seller had a receipt and a survey. What the seller did not have was the government's permission to sell that land in the first place.

What imperfect title means in Lagos

Under the Land Use Act, all land in a state is vested in the Governor to hold in trust. A Certificate of Occupancy is the document that shows the Governor granted someone a right of occupancy, usually for 99 years for residential use.

An imperfect title is what you have when that chain is broken. Common examples:

• You bought uncommitted government land from an individual or family who had no right to allocate it.
• You have a deed and a survey, but no C of O and no excision or gazette covering the land.
• You built first and started asking questions about title later.

Regularization does not rewrite history. It is the state offering to regularize your occupation after the fact, if the land qualifies, and then issue you a C of O in your name.

It is also not the same as excision. Excision is when government releases land back to an indigenous community or village, and that release is published in a gazette. Regularization is individual (or corporate): you apply for your own plot.

Can every plot be regularized?

No. This is where people waste money.

From the Directorate of Land Regularization practice, the land generally must:

• Not fall within a committed government acquisition — that is, land already earmarked for a government scheme, estate, road, or public purpose.
• Not fall within a forest reserve or designated agricultural land use.
• Not sit on a road alignment.
• Observe proper setbacks and required distances from drainage channels, canals, high-tension lines, pipelines and other infrastructure under physical planning rules.
• Fall within a permitted regularization area and conform to urban and regional planning regulations.

If your plot is in Lekki but sits on a canal setback or a planned road, a favourable site inspection is unlikely. Paying an agent to "push the file" does not change the land's status.

That is why charting comes first. A registered surveyor charts your survey plan against government records at the Office of the Surveyor General. The resulting Land Information Certificate tells you whether the coordinates fall into committed land, free land, excision, or an area that may be considered for regularization.

Do not skip that step because someone showed you a neighbour's C of O. Neighbouring plots can have different statuses.

The regularization process, step by step

Procedures and forms change, so confirm the current checklist at the Lands Bureau before you file. In broad terms, the process buyers describe to me runs like this:

1. Charting and land information. Get a current survey plan and a Land Information Certificate from the Office of the State Surveyor-General.

2. Application to the Directorate of Land Regularization. You file a covering letter, the prescribed regularization form from the Lands Bureau, passport photographs, means of identification, tax clearance evidence, sketch map of the site, sun-prints of the survey plan, photograph of the site, and your purchase receipt (with stamp duty evidence where applicable). Companies add incorporation documents.

3. Site inspection. Officials inspect the plot to confirm use, boundaries, setbacks and whether development on ground matches the plan.

4. Assessment and demand notice. If the inspection report is approved, the Directorate raises a demand notice for land charges. Amounts depend on location, size and use. I am not quoting a figure here because assessments are plot-specific and fee schedules change — ask for the official demand notice in writing.

5. Allocation and C of O processing. On payment, the file moves through the Lands Bureau for a letter of allocation and preparation of the C of O, then stamping and registration before release.

Build in time. Files move between the Surveyor-General, the Directorate, and the Lands Bureau. Missing tax documents or a survey that does not chart cleanly are the usual reasons files stall.

One practical point: if you have not bought yet, do this checking before payment. Regularization effectively means buying the land again, this time from government. Budget for that before you agree a price with a private seller.

Costs: what I can and cannot tell you

I will not give you a fixed naira figure for regularization, because no credible source publishes one number that fits every plot. What you pay turns on the assessed value of the land, its size and location, and current Lagos State charges.

What I can tell you is to insist on three things: an official demand notice, payment only through government channels with treasury receipts, and a breakdown that separates government charges from professional fees for your surveyor and lawyer.

If someone quotes you one flat "all-in" price without seeing a charting result, walk away.

If regularization is refused

A refusal does not always mean you did something wrong. It often means the land was never available for private allocation: committed land, a scheme layout, or a planning breach.

At that point your options are legal, not administrative. A lawyer can advise whether you have a claim against your seller, whether compensation issues arise, or whether another parcel can be negotiated. Do not fence, build further, or pay more "processing" money until you have that advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between regularization and ratification in Lagos?

They are used to mean the same process. Ratification is the older term; the Lands Bureau now generally calls it regularization through the Directorate of Land Regularization. Both describe applying for a proper title over uncommitted government land you already occupy or bought without authority.

Can I regularize land in a government scheme or committed area?

Generally no. Land inside a government scheme, estate layout, or committed acquisition is not eligible. Charting at the Surveyor-General's office is how you confirm this before spending money on an application.

Does regularization give me a Certificate of Occupancy?

If your application succeeds, the process ends with an allocation and a C of O issued in your name, then stamped and registered. Until that C of O is issued, you should not assume the title is perfected.

How long does regularization take in Lagos?

There is no fixed statutory timeline I can promise you. It depends on charting, inspection, assessment and file movement at the Lands Bureau. Ask the Directorate for a file reference and keep copies of every receipt so you can track progress.

Should I buy land that needs regularization?

Only with your eyes open and at a price that reflects the extra cost and risk. Get charting done first, use your own lawyer and surveyor, and put conditions in the sale agreement. If the land turns out to be committed, the cheap price stops being cheap.

Related reading

• C of O vs Excision vs Gazette: Land Titles in Lagos Explained
• How to Do a Land Search at Alausa: Lagos Land Registry Guide
• Land Use Conversion: Turning Residential Land Commercial in Lagos
• Lawyer Fees for Land Transactions in Lagos: What to Expect