Land Measurement Units in Nigeria: Everything You Need to Know

4 min read

land-measurement-units-in-nigeria

Land Sizes in Nigeria

You must consider certain factors before buying a property in Nigeria, and one of these is the “size of the land.” It is essential to get familiar with Nigeria’s land sizes and measurements.

You must understand the land measurement system in Nigeria, especially if you are interested in buying that particular land or house. The size of land varies in Nigeria for different reasons, which include development patterns and human and environmental factors.

“What is one plot?”

“What is a half plot?”

“What is an acre and a hectare?”

“What does a square meter mean?”

These questions are widespread in the real estate sector. Both buyers and sellers need to understand these terms to know what they are buying. Hence, if you want to purchase land or a house, you should read this post to make an informed decision.

Plots

Before you purchase land, the first question to the agent or developer is, “What is the size of the land?”

What is a Plot?

A plot is a marked piece of land for farming or building. The word “plot” is a random term used to describe a land division carved out for property development. The land area can be measured using different units such as acres, hectares, square feet, or square meters. 

The size of a plot of land varies for different reasons, but according to Nigeria’s land divisions, the appropriate size of a plot of land is 100 50 ft. This can accommodate a standard house with a small compound. In Lagos state, the standard size of a plot is 60 x 120 ft (18m x 36m, i.e., 648sqm), while in some other cities in the country, the land is measured at 50 x 100 ft. 

Acres and hectares are bigger measurement units mainly used for larger land areas like farmland and forests. At the same time, meters and feet are used for smaller plots of land, for instance, for residential purposes. Nigeria primarily uses the metric system of measurements; these plots of land are usually described in square meters. For easy comparison, you should always ask any land vendor what the size of a plot of land is in square meters. 

As a potential buyer, you should always keep in mind that in any urban planning environment, plots are made up of different sizes to allow for different types of use, either residential or commercial.

Land-Measurement-Unit-In-Nigeria-1
Land-Measurement-Unit-In-Nigeria-1

Standard Measurement Units of Land Sizes in Nigeria

To better understand land sizes used in Nigeria, different units of area are used as follows:

Feet (ft.)

foot, or plural feet, is a unit of length in the Imperial Customary Systems of Measurement. ne foot ft), in measurement, is defined as 0.3048m exactly or 12 inches. One square foot (1 sq ft) comprises 0.09 sq.m.

Square feet

The square foot, plural square feet, is an imperial unit of area. One square foot is defined as the area of a square with sides that measure 1 foot in length.

Meter (m)

A meter is the base unit of length used in the metric system and can easily be converted for other teams. ne meter s equivalent to 100 centimeters, 39.37 inches, or 3.3 ft.

Square meters (Sqm)

The square meter is a fundamental metric unit of area. A square meter is simply the area of a square whose sides measure exactly 1 meter in length. thas the symbol m2. It is used for measuring the size of anything, from rooms to houses to land.

Acre

An acre is a standard unit of measurement used by land sellers, and it is almost equivalent to the size of a traditional football field. an acre is a product of any rectangular plot of land giving a total of 4046.86sqm or 43,560 sq ft., and an acre consists of 6 units, each measuring 60 x 120ft.

In relation to land measurements, the above divisions constitute some fraction of an acre which means a plot can be;

50 x 100ft/ 15.2 x 30.5m = 463.6sqm (which means there are 8.7 plots of land measuring 463.6sqm in an acre)

60 x 120 ft/18.3 x 36.6m = 669.8sqm (which means there are 6 plots of land measuring 669.8sqm in an acre).

100 x 100ft / 30.5 x 30.5m = 930.25sqm (which means there are 4.3 plots of land measuring 930.25sqm in an acre)

Hectare (ha)

A hectare is a unit of measurement used for large tracts of land or farmland. A hectare of land measures about 100m x 100m, or 328 feet x 328 feet, or 10,000 square meters. A hectare of land is about two and a half acres, which is usually about 15 plots. It is one of the known metric units for measuring land, and potential buyers and land vendors are often at loggerheads on what the unit should be.

These unit measurements can be converted into several units. The table below shows how to do the conversion, and in situations where you hear people talk about specific units, don’t get confused.

Unit of areaConversion unit
1 Plot18 m x 30 m = 540 sqm or 18 m × 36 m = 648 sqm or 30 m x 30 m = 900 sqm Note, Sizes of plots do vary: always ask for plot sizes in square meters
1 Acre43,560 square feet or 4046.86 square meters or 0.404686 hectares
1 Hectare10,000 square meters or 2.47 acres
1 Square meter (sqm)10.76 sq feet
1 Square foot (sq feet)0.093 sqm
1 Meter (m)3.28 ft.
1 Foot (ft.)0.3048 m

Frequently Asked Questions on Land Sizes in Nigeria

How big is a standard plot of land in Nigeria?

There is no standard definition, but a typical plot of land in Nigeria stands at around 100ft x 100ft = 30 m x 30 m = 10,000 square feet = 900 square meters. Therefore, a half plot can be described to be 50 ft x 100 ft = 15 m x 30 m = 5000 square feet = 450 square meters in measurement.

Depending on the states in question, there can be variations in land sizes: 18 m x 30 m (540 sqm) and 18 m x 36 m (648 sqm) are the common plot sizes in Lagos State. This is why you must always request sizes in square meters for such things as ease of comparison.

How many plots of land make an acre?

As stated above, an acre is the same as 4046.86 square meters. You are supposed to have a plot of land measuring 900 square meters. To know how many acres it contains, just divide 4046.86 sqm by 900 sqm (4046.86/900). while 1 acre has 4.5 plots.

How many plots of land make a hectare?

Since a plot is defined as 900 sqm and a hectare is made up of 10,000 square meters – 1 hectare is equivalent to 11.1 plots (10,000/900 sqm).

How do you measure the size of a plot of land?

Whether you are buying or selling land, you must know its size. The size of the land can be obtained from the survey plan. However, you should involve a professional surveyor to go out and physically measure the land in the field before you buy (or sell) to avoid any complications.

Corner Piece

A corner piece plot is usually larger than an ordinary plot. These are much more extensive than regular plots. The corner piece is a plot of land located at a road intersection and has a border with at least 2 access roads. A lot of people desire cornerpiece plots for several reasons. This type of land usually has an extra 3 meters added to the sides close to the streets because of the 6-meter setback for roads. 

Therefore, instead of the typical 36m x 18m, the size can be increased to 39m x 21m or 36m x 21m. As a result of this, corner-piece plots of land tend to be more expensive than others in the exact location.

Conclusion

 In case you find yourself in land transactions, you can use what we have explained here as your guide to do your marketing, and again you should always make it a top priority to ask the land vendor what the size of the land for sale is in Square Meters before proceeding with any transaction. 

17 Replies to “Land Measurement Units in Nigeria: Everything You Need to…”

        1. No Surveyor can give you a specific length of hectare of land without seeing the land.
          But just know that the area of a hectare is 10,000sqm you can then deduce the length of you have known the width.

        2. Which area is the land located because the location of your land determines area of the plot

  1. Hello My Dear,
    I saw your on the internet. You have a do job to do for my company: my company name is company godianisreal. I will Be coming to Nigeria in September, I will coming to office with the a document, I am happy i met you,

    Your faithfully,
    Mr f. anjorin-regan

  2. Thank you so much for this beautiful work before I don’t know about one hectares of land measurements

Leave a Reply to Sulaiman Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Open chat
Contact Us For Real Estate Advisory
Hi there, I'm Adeola, a seasoned real estate consultant with a wealth of experience in the Lagos property market. I'm passionate about helping clients find their ideal properties, be they luxurious homes, commercial spaces, or investment opportunities. I've built a reputation as a trusted advisor in the industry. If you're looking for expert guidance and support in navigating the Lagos real estate landscape, I'm here to help. SEND ME MESSAGE