2 Easy Ways To Know The Size Of A Plot Of Land In Nigeria

In the second week of January, a friend and I inspected his property in Ogun State. It was supposed to be an Acre, but it’s actually 4 and a half plots of land. Since he didn’t know the different land sizes and how many plots makes an acre, the seller fooled him at the point of purchase. 

What signal does this send?: All land buyers should understand the land measurement system in Nigeria, or transact at the mercy of the seller’s surveyor.

And of course, since people buy plots of land more than acres and hectares, they are more interested in knowing the size of a plot of land. 

In case, you are among those who have been sending questions like, “Donald, how can I find out the size of a plot of land?” the answer is right here. Just read on.

Land Measurement In Nigeria

The land sizes of different countries vary. It’s even baffling that land measurement in Nigeria varies among states. 

It is because the governors of each state hold the land in their state in trust for the people. 

Thus, every state with its land laws just like every Mallam with his kettle. This is why there is no unified land measurement system in Nigeria. 

However, the units of measurement adopted are similar. Thus, if you know how many square meters makes a plot of land in Lagos State, you can easily guess that of other states. Due to this revelation, I will focus most sections of this article on the size of a plot of land in Lagos state. 

Different Methods Of Measuring Land

The metric and imperial systems are two different methods of measuring land, each with its own units and conventions. We use both (selectively) in Nigeria. Here’s a comparison of the two:

Metric System

The metric system is a decimal-based system of measurement widely used around the world. It comprises some sort of land measurement units, or types of land sizes in Nigeria. Its units for measuring land area are:

(a) The primary units of measuring a plot of land in a metric system

The primary units of measuring the size of land in a metric system are square feet and square meters.

Square Meters of Land (Sqm or m²)

This is the basic unit of area in the metric system. One square meter of land is the area of a squared land with sides of one meter each.

One meter of land = 3.2808399 feet of land. 

And one square meter of land (Sqm or m²) = 3.2808399 feet X 3.2808399 feet ≈ 10.7639 square feet of land.

Hectares of Land (ha)

The questions here are, “how many plots make an hectare of land? or how many square meters is in one hectare?”

Hectare (ha) is commonly used for measuring larger plots of land.

For those who intend to buy land in large quantities and therefore want to know how many plots make 1 hectare of land in Nigeria? This section is for you:

One hectare of land equals 10,000 square meters (100 meters by 100 meters).

Put simply, a hectare of land = 100 meters X 100 meters of land = 10,000 square meters of land.

Or = 328.08399 feet X 328.08399 feet of land ≈ 107,639.1045 square feet of land

 It is about 2 and a half acres of land or about 15 plots of land. Actually, it is 2.47105381 acres. 

Square Kilometer of land (km²)

Square Kilometer (km²) is used for measuring very large areas of land.

One square kilometer of land equals 1,000,000 square meters or 100 hectares of land.

10,000 square meters X 100 = 1,000,000 square meters of land

Or = 107,639.1045 square feet X 100 = 10,763,910.45 square feet of land

Or = 247.105381 acres of land

Imperial System

The imperial system of land measurement is used primarily in the United States and a few other countries. Nigeria adopted the acre and square foot (ft²) land measurement units of ascertaining the size of a plot of land from the imperial system.

(b) The primary units of measuring a plot of land in an imperial system

The primary units of measuring the size of land in an imperial system are Square Inch (in²), Square Foot (ft²), Square Yard (yd²), Acre, and Square Mile (mi²).

Square Inch of land (in²)

Square Inch (in²) is the area of a squared land with sides of one inch each.

One inch of land = 0.083 foot of land = 0.0254 meters of land

One square Inch of land (in²) = 0.006889 square feet of land = 0.00064516 square meters of land

Square Foot of land (ft²)

Square Foot (ft²) is the area of a squared land with sides of one foot each.

Feet is the plural of foot.

One foot of land (ft) = 0.3048 meters or 12 inches of land.

One square foot of land (ft²) = 144 square inches of land. 

Or = 0.3048 X 0.3048 meters = 0.093 square meters of land

Square Yard of land (yd²)

Square Yard (yd²) is the area of a squared land with sides of one yard (three feet) each.

One yard of land = 3 feet of land = 0.9144 meters of land

One square yard of land = 9 square feet of land = 0.83612736 square meters of land.

Acre of land

An acre of land is commonly used for measuring larger plots of land. It is almost equivalent to the size of a football field. An acre of land is almost equivalent to 6 plots of land. 

The size of an acre of land:

1 acre of land in meters = 4046.85642 square meters of land

While 1 acre of land in feet = 43,560 square feet of land. 

Now you know how many square meters is in one acre of land and how many plots make an acre. Hurray!

Square Mile of land (mi²)

Square Mile (mi²) is used for very large areas.

One square mile of land = 640 acres of land = 27,878,400 square feet of land

Or = 2,589,988.11 square meters of land.

Size Of A Plot Of Land In Lagos State

The size of a plot of land in Lagos can either be in square meters or square feet. Below is how you can calculate a plot of land in the state.

So, 1 plot of land in meters = 18 meters X 36 meters = 648 square meters of land.

And 1 plot of land in feet = 60 feet X 120 feet = 7,200 square feet of land.

However, most estates in Lagos state use 500 or 600 square meters of land as against 648.

ALSO READ: How Nigerians Abroad Grow Wealth Through Cheap Land For Sale Back Home

What Is The Size Of A Plot Of Land In Nigeria?

As earlier said, the size of a plot of land varies among states. So, let’s compare the size of a plot of land among some states in Nigeria

What Is The Size Of Half A Plot Of Land In Nigeria?

To get the size of half a plot of land in Nigeria, divide the above figures by 2 or

Half a plot of land in meters = 9 meters X 36 meters = 324 square meters of land.

And half a plot of land in feet = 30 feet X 120 feet = 3,600 square feet of land.

Most estates in Lagos state use 300 square meters of land for half a plot as against 324.

Ideal Plot Size For A House In Nigeria

The ideal plot size for a house that can accommodate a standard house with a small compound is 50 feet X 100 feet of land.

Usage And Context Of Land Measurement Systems

• The Metric System is predominantly used in most countries around the world. It is part of the International System of Units (SI).
• While the Imperial System is primarily used in the United States, though land measurements in the UK and Nigeria are often expressed in both metric and imperial units.

Understanding the differences and conversions between these systems is important for various fields, including real estate, agriculture, and land development, where accurate measurement of land area is crucial.

Summary: Conversion Between Systems

Don’t forget that to convert between metric and imperial units, certain conversion factors are used:

1 square meter of land (m²) ≈ 10.7639 square feet of land (ft²)

1 hectare of land (ha) ≈ 2.47105 acres of land

One square kilometer of land (km²) ≈ 0.386102 square miles of land (mi²)

1 square foot of land (ft²) ≈ 0.092903 square meters of land (m²)

1 acre of land ≈ 0.404686 hectares of land (ha)

One square mile of land (mi²) ≈ 2.58999 square kilometers of land (km²)

Conclusion

The size of a plot of land varies in different states of Nigeria. However, Lagos state uses 60 feet X 120 feet of land which is equivalent to 18 meters X 36 meters of land.

This implies that the 2 easy ways to know the size of a plot of land in Nigeria are in feet or meters.

However, some people buy land in larger units which can be acres or hectares.

It good to know that you now know how many plots make an acre of land.

If not, please ensure you understand the measurement of land before buying one, because the size of a plot of land varies among Nigerian states and sellers.