In 2018, Chinedu bought a plot of land in Ibeju-Lekki for ₦600,000. At the time, his friends laughed.

“Na bush you go buy?” they teased. Even Chinedu had doubts, especially after struggling to locate the land twice.

But he had a gut feeling and decided to take the risk.Fast forward to 2024, Chinedu got a call from a developer building around the Lekki Free Trade Zone. They were interested in acquiring his plot.

The offer? ₦8.5 million. He thought it was a joke—until the cheque cleared.“I almost sold that land two years ago for ₦1.2 million because I was broke,” he told me, shaking his head with a smile.

“But something told me to wait.”Today, that same bush has a tarred road, power poles, and new buildings sprouting like mushrooms.

The value keeps rising, and Chinedu is already scouting for his next plot—this time in Epe.

His only regret?“I wish I bought three plots instead of one.”

That’s Lagos real estate for you. It looks like nothing at first—but if you play your cards right, it could be the best decision of your life.

Let’s not beat around the bush—Lagos real estate is hot cake.

Everyone seems to be talking about it, whispering about one land deal in Epe or a smart investment in Ibeju-Lekki.

The conversations are endless, and so are the questions. But the one that keeps bouncing from one corner of the room to another is this:Is it really safe to invest in Lagos real estate?Well, short answer? Yes.But let’s not stop at “yes.”

This is Lagos. Nothing is ever that simple. Before you pull out your wallet or empty your savings app, you need to know a few things that the billboards won’t tell you.

First, Why Is Everyone Rushing to Invest in Lagos Real Estate?

If Lagos were a person, it would be that loud, fast-talking cousin who always seems to have money flowing from one hustle or the other. Lagos is not just a city—it’s a mood, a movement, a madness that somehow makes financial sense.

It’s the commercial heartbeat of Nigeria. And where the heart beats, money flows.

From tech bros in Yaba to deep-pocket oil boys in Lekki, everyone is looking for where to park their money, and land is the new bank.

Real estate in Lagos has become the golden goose for the smart investor. And why not? Land here doesn’t sleep—it appreciates, sometimes with the arrogance of a billionaire who knows he can’t fail.

But Wait—Is It Safe?

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Lagos isn’t Disneyland. It’s not all shiny buildings and smiling agents. The truth is, there are landmines in the system—some figurative, some legal, and some spiritual (ask anyone who’s ever mistakenly bought “Omonile land”).

Yet, thousands of people are making solid money from it. Some have even become landlords from buying land they never visited. How is this possible? It all comes down to how you invest, where you invest, and who you’re dealing with.

The Shaky Past, The Bright Future

Let’s be honest: Lagos has had its fair share of land drama. The tales are plenty—fake documents, family land disputes, sudden demolitions. These stories are scary, yes, but they’re not the full picture.

Over the years, the Lagos real estate sector has matured, especially with government regulations, better documentation processes, and real estate firms who are finally doing things the right way.

This is not 1997 when you could buy land and discover later that the “agent” was actually a carpenter with a borrowed suit.

Today, with a bit of caution and proper due diligence, you can invest in Lagos real estate and sleep well at night—like a baby who just signed a deed of assignment.Lagos Is Expanding—And That’s a Clue.

Nigerians seeking to correct their date of birth on the National Identification Number (NIN) database will now pay N28,574, following a major upward review of service charges by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The new fee represents a 75 per cent increase from the previous charge of N16,340, making it the most expensive data modification service under the Commission’s revised price regime.

The change is part of a broader review of NIMC’s service fees, which the agency says is necessary to reflect current economic realities, including a national inflation rate of 32.70 percent, rising operational costs, and the need for self-sustenance.

Under the new structure, corrections to other personal details such as names, addresses, and gender now cost N2,000 per modification — up from N1,522, a 31 percent increase.

Re-issuance of the NIN slip, previously pegged at N500, will now attract a fee of N600.

Meanwhile, premium services offered at select enrollment lounges and visa centers will cost N20,000 for NIN enrollment, and N3,500 for re-issuance of slips.

For Nigerians in African countries, NIN enrollment now costs $50 for adults and $30 for children.

Data modifications cost $55 for date of birth changes, and $10 for other fields. Outside Africa, name corrections are charged at $60, with other data fields remaining at $10 per change.

In an executive summary accompanying the new pricing list, NIMC stated that the adjustments followed consultations across its departments and benchmarking against charges by other government agencies like the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Road Safety Corps.

“For over a decade, our service charges remained stagnant despite expanding our infrastructure and service offerings.

This new price regime ensures we can maintain our systems, support national revenue goals, and align with global identity management standards,” the Commission said.

NIMC also cited its role in broader policy objectives such as tax unification, social interventions, and digital identity expansion.

While the Commission insists the fee hike is necessary, many Nigerians have expressed concern about the affordability of the new charges, particularly the high cost of correcting date of birth — an error that often arises from initial registration challenges in rural or crowded centers.

For instance, a fruit seller at Ojota, Lagos, Adaku Okafor, said an error was made in her daughter’s date of birth on the NIN slip.

While she had initially ignored it, the mistake has become critical as her daughter, now in SSS 2, prepares to sit for WAEC and JAMB.

“I am now forced to cough out almost N29,000 just to correct a simple mistake. This is so unfair, especially with the harsh economic reality we are all facing,” she lamented.

Two dispatch riders were confirmed dead on Sunday following a crash involving two Mack trucks on the Eko Bridge inward Alaka, Lagos.

According to preliminary reports, one of the trucks—identified by registration number T-10357 LA—was reportedly moving at high speed when the driver, suspected to have been dozing, lost control and rammed into another truck ahead, marked KJA 107 XM.

The impact caused a 20-foot container to detach and fall, crushing the two dispatch riders who were on the route at the time.

Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), who were on routine monitoring duty under the bridge, responded quickly and rescued one injured truck driver.

He was transported to the hospital by a Lagos State Government ambulance. The other two truck drivers fled the scene, and efforts are ongoing to locate them.

In a statement, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

He called the incident tragic and underscored the need for caution and alertness, particularly among drivers of articulated vehicles.

“Drivers must ensure they are fit to drive and that their vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on any journey,” he said, noting that LASTMA continues its public awareness campaigns to promote safety, especially among operators of heavy-duty trucks.

To prevent additional accidents, LASTMA officers cordoned off the affected section of the bridge and diverted traffic through the Costain Roundabout toward Alaka and the Stadium.

Other emergency responders at the scene included the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, and officers from the Iporin Police Division. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.