If someone dies owning Nigerian land without a valid will covering it, the applicable succession and estate-administration rules determine how it is dealt with. There is no safe nationwide percentage table that tells every spouse or child what they receive.
For a family abroad, the immediate task is to identify the property, locate documents and obtain advice on the applicable law and authority to administer the estate. If you are planning ahead, those same records help a lawyer prepare an estate plan that fits your circumstances.
Who inherits the land?
Have a Nigerian succession lawyer assess the relevant state law, family and marriage circumstances, ownership structure, applicable customary or Islamic-law questions and any cross-border issues. The answer should be tied to those facts, not inferred from a surname or ethnicity alone.
A person’s role in managing an estate is also different from their beneficial entitlement. Ask the lawyer to explain both who may administer the assets and who is entitled to inherit.
What about daughters’ inheritance rights?
The reported decision in Ukeje v Ukeje (2014) rejects the discriminatory Igbo customary rule excluding a daughter from her father’s estate. That important protection should not be converted into an unsupported claim that every Nigerian estate follows one identical equal-share formula. Ask how the applicable rules and judgment affect the particular estate.
Letters of Administration and probate
The Lagos Probate Registry distinguishes Letters of Administration for relevant intestate estates from probate for executors named in a will. It also describes re-sealing routes for grants obtained elsewhere and applications concerning additional assets. Your lawyer should identify the appropriate route for the estate.
The registry’s published information includes identification and death-related documents among application requirements. Obtain the current checklist, fees and procedural directions directly; an online page is not an assessment for your family.
Do not make a fixed timetable your plan
Ask what documents are missing, whether a grant already exists, whether there is a dispute and which jurisdiction must act. Request an itemised quote and a case-specific indication of stages. This article does not claim a universal four-to-six-month completion period, fixed estate duty or nationwide will-drafting price.
Build a family property record
| Record | What to locate |
|---|---|
| Property identity | Address, plot or unit reference, survey information and area |
| Ownership history | Purchase and title documents, official references and unfinished steps |
| Estate information | Any will, existing grant and the appointed lawyer’s details |
| Family information | Relevant relationships and supporting records requested by the lawyer |
| Occupation and income | Who uses the property, any tenancy and available accounts |
| Liabilities and disputes | Known obligations, correspondence and unresolved claims |
Keep originals secure and record who holds them. Share sensitive documents privately with the appointed adviser, not in public comments or an open family-group link.
If someone has already died
Ask the lawyer what immediate steps are appropriate to preserve documents, property and income while authority is established. Avoid assuming that being the eldest child, living nearby or having paid an expense gives someone unrestricted authority to sell.
Keep a written record of property-related receipts and payments. If an existing grant or transaction is disputed, obtain advice on the appropriate procedure rather than trying to settle the legal position through possession or a family vote.
If you are planning ahead from abroad
Tell advisers in the relevant countries about all existing wills and Nigerian assets. Ask how the documents will work together, which law applies, how executors can act and whether one document could unintentionally affect another. Discuss formal execution requirements and where originals will be stored.
A will and a Power of Attorney serve different purposes. Do not treat a property-management authority as a substitute for an estate plan; ask your lawyer about its scope and what happens on death or incapacity. Our Power of Attorney guide helps frame those questions.
Resolve the property paperwork too
Estate planning does not itself establish that a seller had valid title or complete an unfinished purchase. Ask the property lawyer to identify outstanding issues while the transaction records can still be located. Use our land verification guide and Governor’s Consent guide to organise questions.
Your next step: assemble the property record above and book a consultation with a Nigerian succession lawyer, coordinating overseas advice where needed. A clear record is a useful starting point; no document can promise that a family will never have a dispute.
Reviewed 21 September 2026. General education, not a determination of inheritance shares or a will template. Unsupported fee ranges and broad customary-law tables from the draft were removed.
