It can get a bit confusing trying to understand the different land sizes in Nigeria. Even if you’re new to the Nigerian real estate scene , You must have seen property being advertised before. You can see a property being advertised for ₦ 500,000 per square meter and you begin to wonder how many plot is that ? Is it up to an acre? What is the difference between an Acre and a Hectare of land?
In this post, you’ll learn about the different sizes of land in Nigeria, the common units of measurement and why different lands have variations in measurement.
Plots
What is a Plot of land?
According to the Collins dictionary, a plot is a piece of land measured or marked out for a special purpose, such as farming or construction. A plot can also signify a section of land demarcated for property development.
What is the standard plot of land in Nigeria?
According to Nigeria’s land division, 50 ft x 100 ft is the standard size for a plot of land.This size is suitable for the construction of any standard type of house , but, it can vary from state to state.
What is the size of half a plot of land in nigeria?
The size of half plot of land is 324sqm if the land mesures 18m x 36m ( 648sqm) or 225sqm if the land measures 15m x 30m (450sqm)
Most estates across the city of Lagos use 300sqm for half a plot as against the standard 324sqm.
How do you measure the size of a plot of land?
The size of land is usually gotten from the survey plan. However, to accurately measure land size, it is advisable to engage a professional surveyor. These experts use precise tools and techniques like theodolites, total stations, and RTK GPS surveys to ensure accurate measurements.
Standard measurement of land sizes
In Nigeria today, two standard unit of measurements are used -the imperial (feet& acres) and the metric (metres & hectares). The choice of measurement depends on your target audience.
Artisans and local tradesmen often use the imperial system, while professionals prefer the metric system . These measurements can be influenced various factors.
For a better understanding of Land sizes in Nigeria, consider the different units of measurements used in land transactions in Nigeria:
Acre
What is an acre?
An acre is a commonly used unit for land sales and is roughly equivalent to a standard football field (a football field is about 1.32 acres in size). Any piece of land with a total area of 4,046 square meters (43,560 square feet) is considered an acre. In simple terms an acre is 6 plots, each plot measuring 60ft x 120ft.
Hectares
What’s an hectare in real estate?
In some case the term “hectare” is often used interchangeably with “acre”, which are two different terms. One of the least understood units in the metric system is the hectare, which is a plot of land with dimensions measuring 100 m by 100 m (328 ft by 328 ft). In simple terms, an hectare is 2.5 acres or 15 plots.Generally, acres and hectares are used for large piece of land.
Feet (ft.)
A foot, or plural feet, is a unit of length in the Imperial Customary Systems of Measurement. One foot is equal to 0.3408m or 30.48cm. In inches, one foot is equal to 12 inches.
Square feet(sq ft, sf, or ft2 )
The square foot is a unit of measurement popularly used in the US and partially in Canada, Ghana, UK and some Asian countries.To get the square foot of a land, simply measure the length and breadth of the area you are working with in feet. Multiply the length by the breadth and you’ll have the square feet. 1 square foot (ft²) = 0.09290304 square meters (m²)
Meter (m)
A meter is the base unit of length used in the international system of units. One meter is equal to 100 cm or 3.28 ft. In inches, one meter is equal to 39.37 inches.
Square meters ( Sqm/ m²)
The square meter is used to measure the area of a square or rectangle. To calculate the square meters of a piece of land, measure the length and breadth of the land in feet , and multiply the length and breadth. One square meter is equal to 10.76 square feet.
| Unit of area | Conversion unit |
| 1 Plot | 15 m x 30 m = 450 sqm or 18 m × 36 m = 648 sqm (depending on location) |
| 1/2 Plot | 225sqm or 324sqm |
| 1 Acre | 43,560 sq ft or 4046.86 sqm or 0.404686 hectares |
| 1 Hectare | 10,000 sqm or 2.5 acres |
| 1 Square meter (sqm) | 10.76 sq ft |
| 1 Square feet (sq ft) | 0.093 sqm |
| 1 Meter (m) | 3.28 ft |
| 1 Foot (ft) | 0.3048 m |
Variations in Measurements
Location of the land, environmental and social factors are the main reasons for the variations in measurements seen in land sizes in Nigeria. Originally, plots were approximately 1000sqm but due to artificial scarcity of land suitable for development and increase in Land prices, different areas have different standard sizes.
Here are some of the land sizes in different states across Nigeria:
Calabar state offers up to 1,100sqm for commercial plots.
In Lagos State, the standard size of a plot is 60 x 120ft (18m x 36m i.e. 648sqm).
In other States in Nigeria like Rivers, Edo and Oyo, the size of a plot is 50ft X 100ft (15m x 30m i.e 450sqm)
In the Abuja , plots come in different sizes and varies by location.
According to propertypro, places in the core Niger-Delta where land issues are very touchy, you’d be lucky to get anything above 450 sqm.