There’re many adverts from Real Estate companies and agents with the phrase “Excision in Process” or has “A File Number”, while this is not new in the Real Estate market in Nigeria, it has become the norm especially for properties in the Ibeju Lekki Axis of Lagos. Before we delve deeper into today’s main topic, first you need to understand the basic meaning of “Excision”.

An Excision is basically the process in which the government comes to properly mark out the portion of land that will be owned and used for government activities like building of roads, drainages, hospitals and other social amenities etc while also marking out the portion of the land that will belong to a community which they can freely use for building their own properties all selling to outsiders.


For more understanding of this topic, we need to go back in time, when lands where owned by families and communities. The families and communities in the past had total control over every land in their custody, and if there’re solid minerals or any natural resources found there, the families would automatically lay claim to it. This made it difficult for the government to take control of lands that it needed to do things that will benefit the general public. This was until 1978, when the Olusegun Obasanjo regime enacted the Land Use Decree (now known as the Land Use Act 1978).


This law gave 100% ownership of all lands to the government and the Governors the authority to own all lands in the state. While it still recognized the ancestral ownership of land by the families and communities, you still needed the consent of the governor of the state to approve ownership of the land by any individual, family or community, which also means that we’re all tenants to the governor and the governor, is therefore our landlord.
Furthermore, for a community to properly own its land, it must first invite the governor to come and take the portion of the land that will be needed for the government to build key social amenities and other necessary infrastructures that might be needed immediately or in the future, while the government will also map out the remaining portion that will be given back to the community.


The division or Excision of these lands is usually recorded in an official government journal that is structured to record every event. This journal is popularly known as a GAZETTE. The Gazette is basically used to record the number of lands the government has taken in the community and the number that rightfully belongs to the community. It also records the size, location, number and exact position of these lands. It states the day, month, year and the page it was recorded and volume. The Gazette also shows the exact location of the beacons establishing where the acquired government land starts and ends and also where that of the community land starts and ends.

As simple as it might sound, this process can be very complex and time consuming, as it involves a lot of lobbying of people in very high places for it to have a fruitful end. It can sometimes take 5, 10 or 20 years and sometimes might not even be successful as there might be many powerful stakeholders involved with conflicting interest.

PLS NOTE: We’re not in any way implying that Excisions processes are never successful.


So whenever you see a land with a Title saying “Excision in Process” or it has a “File Number” it might not be wise to buy it, as “Excision in process” is not a good title for a Land or property to have. Things can go wrong in the future with the entire process of getting the government to come and excise that land and that will leave you in a very bad situation that can see you lose all your investment in that given property.


We at Topland Realties Limited understand every tiny detail that is needed to help all our clients get the best value for their Real Estate investments. We’ll never allow our clients invest in any property that will put them in a bad situation, whether now or in the future. We know the importance of building a reputation known for honesty and transparency, as these are the basic principles upon which we were founded.


We currently have Lands and houses for sale in Ibeju Lekki, Ajah, Victoria Island and other parts of Lagos, whether you’re interested in residential or commercial properties, we’ve a diverse portfolio of properties for sale, rent or lease. All the Title documents are verified to be authentic, but you’re always welcomed to bring your lawyer who can also perform extra due diligence on the documents to ascertain their validity and authenticity.
Call or Whatsapp +234 811 443 1525 to schedule an appointment today.


SOURCE: https://topland.com.ng/what-you-must-know-before-buying-a-land-with-excision-in-process-in-lagos/