COMMON LAND MEASUREMENTS IN NIGERIA
A PLOT
A fenced empty plot of land
How big exactly is a plot of land?
This is the most commonly used (and misused) land measurement in Nigeria.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLOT OF LAND?
A plot of land is a piece of land marked out for building or farming. Sellers use the term ‘plot’ to describe their lands for sale, but there is actually no standard plot size in Nigeria! Below are the various different land sizes that can be referred to as a plot of land:
60ft x 120ft (About 668.9sqm): This is a measurement common in Lagos state and Ogun states. As the prices for new lands increase, land sellers are beginning to use smaller sizes.
50ft x 100ft (About 464.5sqm): This is the standard of measurement in Edo, Oyo and Rivers states, among others. Also you are most likely to see this measurement than any other in Abuja.
100ft x 100ft (About 929sqm): This particular plot size is commonly found in commercial zones, or areas where land is still very cheap.
500sqm: 500 square meters is a rare plot size and you mostly find it in residential estates or expensive high brow areas.
600sqm: This is a common plot size in well planned estates, especially in Lagos and Ogun states.
The above are only some of the common measurements for plots of land in Nigeria. There are also other different measurements used by sellers:
HALF PLOT, QUARTER PLOT
As land gets more scarce and prices climb up, many buyers find it more affordable to go for smaller land sizes such as quarter and half plots. Using a plot size of 60 x 120, a half plot is either 60ft x 60ft or 30ft x 120ft. For other areas using a 50 x 100 plot of land, a half plot is 50ft x 50ft. A quarter plot is half of a half plot of land.
ACRE
Unlike a plot of land, an acre of land has a fixed size anywhere in the world. An acre of land is 4,046.9sqm or 43,560sqft. An acre of land contains 6 plots if the plot size is 60 x 120. For a plot size of 50 x 100, a plot would contain 8 and half plots.
HECTARE
Just like the acre, the size of a hectare is fixed. A hectare contains about 2.5 acres, and roughly 15 plots of 60 x 120 land. A hectare is 100m x 100m = 10,000sqm.
SQUARE METERS(SQM)
A square meter is a very small measurement 1m x 1m or 3ft x 3ft. You can’t build a house on a piece of land that is 1sqm. But why are there land adverts with prices in square meters? That’s because you are not actually expected to buy 1sqm land! There is usually a minimum size of land that the seller is willing to sell, for example 500sqm. Lands sizes are stated per sqm to show that they are in highly sought after locations. That is why you usually only see these type of land measurements for locations such as exclusive parts of Ikoyi, Eko Atlantic and Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos.
TERMINOLOGIES USED TO DESCRIBE LAND
CORNER PIECE PLOT
A cornerpiece plot is located at a road intersection and has border with at least 2 access roads. Cornerpiece plots are desired for several reasons, for example a cornerppiece plot is the best to show off your architectural masterpiece. It also offers easier access, and works better for commercial establishments. In addition, cornerpiece plots are usually allocated with some extra land as setbacks for the roads. As a result of these, cornerpiece plots of land tend to be more expensive than others in the same location.
SETBACK
Setback is the minimum distance which a building or other structure must be set back from a street, road, river, stream or shore. If your land is located next to an access road or water body, the setback is the space you must give when building. Setbacks are set by state and local governments. If your land is in an estate, there are likely to be setback rules that apply to as well.
COMMERCIAL PLOT
In planned estates, there are specific plots designated as commercial plots and in which all commercial establishments within that estate must be established. Commercial plots are usually located close to the main entrance, along access roads and on cornerpiece plots.
MIXED USED LAND
Most lands in Nigeria are residential lands, but there are also specific commercial zones in which no residential buildings are permitted. Mixed used lands bring the best of both worlds helping the landlord to be flexible in his land usage. A landlord with a plot of mixed use land can choose to construct a block of flats as a residential building, or a shopping complex as a commercial building. But he could also choose to combine both residential and commercial spaces within the same building.
DRY LAND
In many parts of Gbagada, Maryland and Isheri on the Lagos mainland and Lekki, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki on the Island, a lot of the land is marshy and waterlogged. Building on such land will be more expensive because rather than a simple foundation, a raft foundation will be needed, which is more expensive. There may be also be need for piling which is an additional expensive undertaking. Sellers of land in locations with dry and stable land advertise this fact as a way to attract buyers. Building on dry land won’t require a very expensive foundation and the building will be cheaper to own and maintain.
TITLE
A title is the legal rights a land owner has to his land. The title for a piece of land is noted in the title documents that were given to the owner when he bought the land, or that he acquired after he already bought the land. The title documents show that the owner is the legal owner of the land and serves as a proof of ownership. In Nigeria, there are different types of titles that can serve as a valid legal proof of ownership. They include Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), Right of occupancy (R of O), deed of assignment, deed of transfer, survey plan, etc.
WHAT SIZE OF LAND DO YOU NEED?
The size of land you need for building depends on 2 things: the size of the building and the location. A 5 bedroom single storey(duplex) home will require more space than a 3 bedroom bungalow. The Federal Housing Authority(FHA) requires home owners to leave a setback of at least 6m in front of their building and 3m on the other sides. In high density areas of cities such as Lagos, this requirement is relaxed and the setback is typically 3m or less on all sides.
We strongly recommend against using setbacks of less than 3m all round, irrespective of your location. The lowest permitted setbacks for a residential building according to the FHA is 3m on all sides. Using anything less than this may lead to problems with government officials in the course of your construction and at worst, a demolition of your building.
So what size of land do you need?
Bungalow: From 220sqm (50ft x 50ft) and above for a 3 bedroom bungalow
Multi-storey single family(duplex): You need at least 464sqm (50ft x 100ft) or more. However with a good architectural plan, you might be able to squeeze a 4 bedroom duplex into a 300sqm land.
Multi-storey multi-family(block of flats): From 600sqm (60ft x 120ft) is needed for a block of flats to allow for sufficient parking space, setback and ventilation for all the flats
Others: We only listed the common residential house types in Nigeria. For other building types not covered in this guide, you can work with your architect to figure out what size of land you need.