The Silent Value of Property Titles

Busayo throws fabulous house parties. Her living room is beautifully furnished, her compound always
pristine, and she talks about her home like she’s owned it for decades. However, there’s a twist: Busayo
doesn’t legally own that house.

She paid for the property five years ago, millions, in fact. She even has a receipt and an informal
agreement with the seller. But what she doesn’t have is the one thing that truly makes her the owner: a
registered title.

It’s a silent crisis… many Nigerians are living in or even renting out properties they don’t technically
own. They may have receipts, letters of allocation, or survey plans, but no Governor’s Consent or C of O.
And without that, the government doesn’t officially recognize their ownership.

That means if someone else shows up tomorrow with a valid title, the law isn’t on their side. It doesn’t
matter how long they’ve lived there, or how much they’ve invested in renovations.

Securing a proper title might seem like an extra step. It can be costly, time-consuming, and full of
bureaucracy. But it’s also the only way to truly protect your investment, because in real estate,
ownership isn’t about possession, it’s about documentation.