What digitised registry records mean for your title search
As more Lagos State Land Registry records move online, searches that once took weeks can be confirmed faster — but the document you are shown still has to match the survey on the ground.
Digitisation changes how long a search takes. It does not change what a search is for.
Faster, not automatic
Where records have been captured, a solicitor can confirm a title reference in days rather than weeks. Where they have not, the file still has to be pulled by hand — so the honest answer to “how long does verification take” remains: it depends on the document.
The check a database cannot do for you
A registry record tells you what is filed. It does not tell you that the land you walked is the land in the file. That match is made by a surveyor, on site, against the beacons.
What to ask for
- The title type, named exactly — C of O, Governor's Consent, Registered Gazette or Government Allocation.
- The search report reference, not a verbal assurance.
- A survey confirmation with coordinates and photographs.
- An encumbrance position: free of government acquisition and litigation, or flagged.
Until all four line up, a listing is in verification — not verified.
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