If you have purchased land, then you are likely aware how sometimes contradictory land sizes and measurements can be. Depending on who you’re talking to at any point in time, a plot of land could assume several different sizes and shapes. It can all get pretty complicated, very quickly.
So, what is the size of a plot of land? How do you measure that in square metres? How big exactly is an acre? How does that compare to a hectare?
If you are looking to purchase land, to build your own home or as an investment in residential or commercial real estate, it is important that you acquire knowledge on how these land size measurements in Nigeria work. The size and dimensions of your plot, after all, determine what use it can be put to.
More importantly, knowing these measurements would inform the questions you ask in order to understand what specifically you are purchasing.
First things first. Nigeria primarily uses the metric system of measurement. This means, in official land documents, land is sized in square metres. In everyday transactions, however, conversations about land could involve either the imperial or metric unit system. While the former measures in feet and acres, the latter measures using meters and hectares.
What is a PLOT?
It is important to understand that a “plot” has no particular definition. It can refer to any parcel of land to be developed and, as a result, can refer to lands with different sizes. That notwithstanding, the standard size of a plot in Nigeria is 100ft x 100ft which equals 10,000 square feet or 900 square metres. *A half plot, therefore, would be 50ft x 100ft, which equals 5,000 square feet or 450 square metres.
Some plot sizes are different, though. In Lagos, a standard plot measures 60ft x 120ft (7200 sqft) or 18m x 36m (648sqm).
What is an ACRE?
An acre is nearly equivalent to a standard football field and is a rectangular plot of land that measures a total of 43,560 sqft or 4,046sqm.
An acre consists of 6 plots measuring 60ft x 120ft
What is a HECTARE?
A hectare is a land measuring 328ft x 328ft or 100m x 100m (10,000sqm. 1 hectare is roughly two and a half hectares and consists 15 plots measuring 60ft x 120ft.
QUICK CONVERSIONS: At a Glance
The metre is a basic unit of length used in the metric system. It is equivalent to 100 centimetres, 39.37 inches or 3.28 feet.
The foot is a basic unit for measuring length as well. It is used in the imperial system and is equivalent to 0.30 metres, 12 inches.
The square metre is a unit of area in the metric system. It is equivalent to 10.76 square feet.
The square foot is a fundamental imperial unit of area. It is equal to 0.092 square metres.
An acre is a larger unit of area in the metric system. It is commonly used in Nigeria for measuring larger land areas. It is equal to roughly 6 plots or 4,046.86 square metres. An acre is approximately 0.4 of a hectare.
The hectare, less commonly used unit of measurement, belongs to the imperial system. It is 2.47 times the area of an acre. A hectare is 10,000 square metres and consists roughly 15 plots.
