NG Bar Prop Law study guide
NG Bar Prop Law · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Property Law is one of the core subjects in the Nigerian Bar Examinations (the Bar Part II professional course and its qualifying assessments), and it carries real weight because it is examined in multiple-choice, short-answer and essay formats. This page is for candidates preparing for that property law component - whether you are a Bar Part II student at the Nigerian Law School, a foreign-qualified lawyer preparing for the conversion course, or a practitioner refreshing the subject for a professional assessment. The NG Bar Prop Law study guide has 10 sections and about 2,711 words.
01Land Tenure System in Nigeria: Customary, Statutory and Non-Customary Tenure
This domain tests how Nigerian land tenure is classified before and after the Land Use Act 1978 (Cap L5 LFN 2004), and how customary, statutory and non-customary interests coexist. Expect questions on the incidents of family and community land, the radical title of the state, and the difference between ownership of land and ownership of developments.
343 words, about 2 min02Land Use Act: Allocation, Certificates of Occupancy, Revocation and Compensation
Questions focus on the governor's allocation powers, statutory and customary rights of occupancy, the certificate of occupancy as evidence, and the limits on revocation and compensation. Section 1 vests all land in the state in the governor, held in trust.
302 words, about 2 min03Deeds and Conveyancing: Form, Execution, Attestation, Registration and Stamping
This domain tests the formal validity and enforceability of conveyances: whether the instrument is a deed, how it is executed and attested, and the consequences of stamping and registration. A deed must be in writing, signed by the maker, sealed where required, and delivered; attestation by a witness is standard.
298 words, about 1 min04Title Investigation, Root of Title and Good Title
This domain tests how a purchaser investigates title: the abstract of title, root of title, chain of ownership, searches, and the standard for a good title. Investigation begins with the root of title, the document from which the vendor's title is deduced; a good root is legally effective and not dependent on a defective earlier transaction.
299 words, about 1 min05Co-ownership: Joint Tenancy, Tenancy in Common, Family Land and Partition
This domain tests the distinction between joint tenancy and tenancy in common, the incidents of family land, and partition. Joint tenancy requires the four unities: possession, interest, title and time.
245 words, about 1 min06Leases, Tenancies and Licences
This domain tests the creation and incidents of leases, periodic tenancies, tenancies at will and licences, and the lease/licence distinction. A lease grants exclusive possession for a term, usually for rent; a licence is merely personal permission and creates no interest in land.
244 words, about 1 min07Mortgages and Charges over Land
This domain tests the creation of legal and equitable mortgages, the remedies of a mortgagee, and the rights of a mortgagor. A legal mortgage may be created by assignment with a proviso for redemption, by demise, or by charge by way of legal mortgage.
269 words, about 1 min08Easements, Covenants and Other Incorporeal Rights
This domain tests easements, profits, restrictive and positive covenants, and how incorporeal rights bind successors. An easement requires a dominant and servient tenement, accommodation of the dominant tenement, diversity of ownership, and capability of forming the subject matter of a grant.
253 words, about 1 min09Land Registration, Priorities and Land Charges
This domain tests deed registration versus title registration, priority rules, and the effect of land charges, cautions and inhibitions. Deed registration records instruments; title registration records the title itself, often with a state guarantee.
227 words, about 1 min10Compulsory Acquisition, Resettlement and Compensation
This domain tests the state's power to acquire land compulsorily, the procedure, resettlement and compensation. The state may acquire land for public purposes under the Land Use Act and related public lands legislation; Constitution s.44 requires prompt compensation.
231 words, about 1 min