Types of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) You Should Know in Nigeria

You must have heard of the Certificate of Occupancy, popularly called the C of O. But did you know that there are six types of the Certificate of Occupancy? 

A Certificate of Occupancy is a property document that shows that a person has been approved to use said property for their intended purpose. It is one of the important documents that every landowner ought to have. 

You may want land for different purposes. Some of the reasons could be for building an industry, a farm, a school, or even a residential home. No matter what you intend to do with it, it is important to go for the right land and documentation. 

The dream of owning land for different purposes is one that many Nigerians have. Amazingly, it’s good to say that they are diligently working hard to actualize that dream. 

It wouldn’t be a good experience to work hard to acquire land but end up processing the wrong documentation. Neither is failing to do a proper investigation of the land before parting with your hard-earned money a good experience. Either way, you will end up in a complicated situation in the future. 

This is why it is important to get proper knowledge that will empower you to make better decisions.

There are other property documents, such as:

• Land survey plan
• Registration documents
• Contract of sale
• Deed of Assignment

But in this article, we will discuss the different types of Certificate of Occupancy in Nigeria and the most appropriate conditions they issue them.

Types of Certificate of Occupancy in Nigeria 

In no particular order, the six types of certificate of occupancy in Nigeria are listed below.

Family Certificate of Occupancy

This type of certificate of occupancy is only issued to a family. It is meant to cover land used by a family, indicating the ownership and usage rights of each member of the family on the land. 

The family certificate of occupancy helps to avoid disputes, such as illegal property sales. It also does not have an expiry date, which renders transferring land from one generation to another simple and smooth. The property can be used for agricultural, industrial, residential purposes, or even a mixture of all of them. 

Also Read:

• Follow These Steps to Verify the Authenticity of a C of O in Abuja
• 10 Different Land Titles You Should Know in Nigeria
• 5 Best Ways to Create Passive Income in Real Estate in Abuja

Agricultural Certificate of Occupancy

Agricultural C of O is specifically issued for land used for agricultural activities. The land can be owned by an individual or a company that wants to engage in agricultural produce and usually has a tenure of 25 to 28 years. 

This type of land is usually found in a designated area mapped out for agriculture. Agricultural activities such as rearing of animals, farming of crops, chicken poultry, and fish farms. 

Examples of such lands can be found in Lagos in areas such as Epe and Ikorodu. 

With this type of certificate of occupancy, farms can obtain agricultural loans and subsidies. 

Industrial Certificate of Occupancy

Just like with the agricultural certificate of occupancy, the industrial certificate of occupancy is issued for land designated for industries. 

The lands with this type of certificate are sometimes isolated and far from the residential areas due to the nature of the activities that are carried out there. 

Examples of the industrial areas are Apapa, Ogba, Ikeja, and Ibeju-Lekki in Lagos. 

This certificate has a tenure of 35 years and is the kind of certification of occupancy Dangote refinery at Ibeju-Lekki will have. 

Residential Certificate of Occupancy

When you want to acquire land in an area designated for residential purposes, the land will have a residential certificate of occupancy. 

This type of certificate of occupancy is the most common and comes with a 99-year tenure. It is also known as an individual certificate of occupancy. 

Because you have a residential certificate of occupancy in your name, you can get a loan to improve or develop a property as an individual.

Global Certificate of Occupancy 

A global certificate of occupancy is the type of C of O issued for a large expense of lams. This type of certificate covers all of the properties or land plots in that specific location.

Global C of O is what real estate companies use for their estates. That means that all the plots and properties in the said estate are covered by one certificate. 

In the case of transferring the ownership of a property covered by the global certificate of occupancy, the deed of assignment is sufficient. 

Excision

When a village is given an area of land for any purpose, the type of certificate of occupancy issued to them is called an “excision.” This type of certificate of occupancy can only be issued to a village, unlike some of the other certificates, such as the agricultural certificate of occupancy, that can be issued to individuals, groups, or companies. 

An excision helps prevent land disputes between villages. After the issuance of the excision, the next document is the government consent, but before applying for the government consent, the land has to be gazetted. 

A land is gazetted when a gazette (a legal national newspaper) publishes the news of the excision. 

Why You Should Know the Type of Certificate of Occupancy on a Land

When the certificate of occupancy is mentioned, many people only think about one of the certificate types. Without doing that, there are five other types of certificate of occupancy. 

This is due to the popularity of that particular type because they are more aware of the circumstances that led to the issuance of that type of certificate of occupancy. 

But it is important to know other types of documents. This will help you to properly seek out the right one depending on what you want to do with the land or the situation that led to the ownership of the land.

Also Read:

• Everything You Need to Know About Governor’s Consent in Nigeria
• Difference Between Land Excision and Gazette in Nigeria
• Different Land Sizes and Measurements Available in Abuja

Conclusion

There are six types of certificates of occupancy in Nigeria, namely: residential, agricultural, global, industrial, excision, and family. Every type has unique features and circumstances that lead to its issuance. For example, the excision C of O is only issued to a village and cannot be changed, unlike in the case of other types, such as agricultural, which can be changed to residential in some cases. 

Having this knowledge will better position you to navigate the dynamic landscape of the Nigerian real estate business easily.

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