It is of paramount importance that if you want to delve into the field of real estate in Nigeria, you should have some basic knowledge of the units of measurement of land. Suffice it to say that whether you are a buyer or a seller, you should be conversant with some terminologies that are thrown up whenever buying or selling of land is discussed in Nigeria.
Land Measurement.
The units of measurement of land are meters, feet, plots, acres and hectares. Usually the dimensions of land are stated either in feet or meters hence we hear that a piece of land measures about a certain square meters or square feet. It is when the area gets to a certain size that we now start talking about plots, acres and hectares. In this article, we are going to take you through the relationships between these units of measurement.
Feet and Meters.
The length and width of a piece of land are measured in feet or meters, hence when the four dimensions of land are measured, it is stated in square feet or square meters. A land quoted in square feet can easily be converted to square meters and vice versa. While a meter is equivalent to 3.281feet, 1 square meter is equal to 10.764 square feet.
Plot.
The term “plot” is mostly used in real estate to state the size of residential and commercial land. A plot of land may vary depending on the location. It is therefore not strange to see where a plot of land is stated as 100 feet by 100 feet ( 10,000 square feet) or 30.5 meters by 30.5 meters ( 930.25 square meters) and in another place it is 50 feet by 100 feet (5,000 square feet) or 15.2 meters by 30.5 meters ( 463.6 square meters).
However, in Lagos State, a standard plot of land measures about 60 feet by 120 feet (7,200 square feet) or 18 meters by 36 meters (648 square meters).
Therefore, locational difference in stating the size of plot must be taken into consideration. This may be influenced by factors like economic viability, pattern of development and pressure on land due to population density.
Acre.
Acre is used when the size of the land is considerably large. Acres are associated with agricultural and industrial land. An acre of land measures about 4,046 square meters or 43,560 square feet. Therefore an acre of land consists of about 6 plots depending on the size of the plots.
Hectare.
Hectare is the largest unit of land measurement. The unit is used to designate a vast area of land. It is commonly used in both agricultural and commercial enterprises. One hectare is equivalent to 10,000 square meters or 2.471 acres. When agricultural or large commercial projects are embarked upon by government or business entities, acquisition of land is usually in hectares.
Conclusion.
A clear understanding of land matters in Nigeria as a prerequisite to acquiring land either for residential or commercial purpose cannot be over emphasized. It therefore implies that necessary enquiries must be made and questions asked to obtain clarifications before embarking on any real estate investment or related activities that will involve commitment of funds to acquire the land.
