16/06/2026
You’re a “Landlord”… But You’re Still a Tenant 😳
You have bought your land abi? You even did your CofO? Congrats😊
You’re a landlord 👏
But here’s the truth nobody tells you: Since the Land Use Act of 1978, ALL land in Nigeria belongs to the governor of each state.
So what you really own is Leasehold, not Freehold(these are forms of land ownership).
Freehold is a form of land ownership where you own and enjoy the exclusive right on the land forever, but you see leasehold, you only own the land for a certain number of years, which is 99yrs.
Our forefathers owned land imperpetuity. They passed it from generation to generation without paying anyone. Today, land “ownership” is only for 99 years. After that, the land goes back to the state goverment unless you apply for renewal.
You pay rent to be a landlord. Yes, ground rent. Every year. A true landlord doesn’t pay rent. But because government is the real owner, you pay to use what you “bought”. No ground rent = risk of revocation.
Government can also take it back. If there’s “overriding public interest” like roads, airports, or public projects, government can revoke your CofO. They will pay compensation, but we all know it’s rarely equal to the value lost.
So technically, you’re a landlord to yourself… but a tenant to the government.
This is not to scare you. It is to make you wise. Before you buy, understand what you are really buying. Ask questions. Do due diligence. Know your rights.
The day I knew this ehn, I was like...." So our family house, we can only own it for 99yrs, after then it belongs to government? Ahhh😂🤲
Did you know about the 99-year rule before now?
Drop your thoughts below 👇