AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A video inspection can show what a plot looks like on the day of the call, but not who owns it, whether its coordinates match the survey plan, whether it is under government acquisition, or whether a family or community disputes it. Those come from the land registry search, Surveyor-General charting, litigation and family enquiries, and an in-person visit by someone you trust.
Live video tours are now the default way Nigerians abroad "see" land before buying. Sellers and agents offer them readily, and a sunny clip with beacons and a signboard can feel like proof. It is not. A camera can only show surface and setting. Most of what decides whether you own the land after you pay sits in records and in the knowledge of neighbours, not in the picture. This piece separates what video can and cannot tell you, and gives a checklist for the rest.
What a video can usefully show
- The general terrain: dry, waterlogged, sloped, rocky or bushy, on that day.
- Whether there is a road, how it looks, and whether nearby plots are built on.
- Visible beacons, fences, foundations or structures already on the land.
- Signs of occupation: farming, a shed, someone living there, a "not for sale" notice.
That is worth having. It can rule a plot out early. It cannot rule one in.
What a video cannot show
Ownership and encumbrances
A Lagos law firm's 2024 due-diligence guide (Adeola Oyinlade & Co) explains that a Land Registry search shows the true registered owner and encumbrances such as government acquisition, mortgages and leases, and that only registered land can be verified this way. No camera can do that. See running a land registry search by proxy.
Whether these are the coordinates on the plan
The same guide describes charting at the Surveyor-General's office, which checks the survey plan's coordinates, whether the plan is valid and whether the land falls within an acquisition. The person filming may be standing on the plot next door, or on a plot that matches the beacons but not the plan. A surveyor who visits with the plan and a GPS device can tell; a phone video cannot. Read survey plan verification at the Surveyor-General.
Disputes, family and community claims
The guide also lists court-registry litigation searches, probate checks and family or community enquiries, including the consent of the family head where land is family land. Disputes are often known to neighbours, not visible on the ground. A video guided by the seller's agent will not include the neighbour who says the land was sold twice.
Conditions that change
A dry-season video says nothing about flooding in July. A clip at midday says nothing about access at night or about land grabbers who appear once building starts.
Whether the video is live or the place is real
Pre-recorded clips can be passed off as live, and the same footage can be sent to several buyers. Ask the person filming to show a newspaper with today's date, turn the camera on a landmark you name, and walk to each beacon while you watch.
Verify in person or by proxy
Use the video to shortlist, then send someone independent of the seller.
- A registered surveyor you appoint, not the seller's, to locate the beacons against the plan and chart it (hiring a surveyor from abroad).
- Your own lawyer to run the registry, litigation and probate searches (check the lawyer first).
- A trusted relative or friend to visit at a different time, talk to neighbours and the community leader, and photograph any occupants.
- A second visit in the rainy season if drainage matters to you.
Worked example
Example only: Tunde, in Dublin, watches a live video of a 600 m² plot near Epe and likes it. His own surveyor visits two weeks later and finds the beacons are about 40 metres from the coordinates on the seller's plan, inside a neighbouring layout. The charting report also flags part of the area as under acquisition. Tunde's cost: the surveyor's fee. Without the visit he would have paid for land the plan does not describe.
Questions to ask during the call
- Please walk to each beacon and read the number on it.
- Show me the road from the main junction, without cutting the video.
- Who lives or farms next door? Can I speak to them?
- Point the camera at the survey plan next to the beacon.
Evasive answers are themselves information.
When video is the right tool
Video earns its place after the paper checks, not before. Once your lawyer has a clean search and your surveyor has located the beacons, a live call lets you see the plot with your own eyes, agree where a fence or gate should go, and record the condition on the day you take possession. Save the recording with the date. Later, regular calls from a caretaker walking the boundary are a cheap way to spot encroachment early, which matters far more than the first tour.
Where Pryme fits
Surveyors, lawyers and searches are paid in naira, often in several small amounts. A Pryme Personal Account lets you pay each professional directly rather than sending one lump sum to a relative, and verifiable receipts keep a clean record of what you paid for each check.
Questions people ask
Is a video call enough to buy land in Nigeria?
No. Video shows the surface on one day. Ownership, encumbrances, coordinates and disputes come from registry searches, Surveyor-General charting, litigation checks and in-person enquiries.
How can I tell if a land video is live?
Ask for today's newspaper on camera, request the person turn to landmarks you name, and walk unbroken from the main road to each beacon.
Who should inspect land for me if I live abroad?
A surveyor and a lawyer you appoint yourself, plus a trusted person independent of the seller who can talk to neighbours and the community.
Can a surveyor confirm the land on the video is the land on the plan?
A surveyor on site with the plan can locate the beacons against its coordinates and have it charted. A phone video cannot.
Sources
- Adeola Oyinlade & Co: due diligence checks before buying land in Lagos · accessed Oct 2026
- Ownkey: real estate due diligence, dos and don'ts · accessed Oct 2026
- Land Use Act, Cap L5 LFN 2004 (PLAC) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.