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The short answer
The safeguard that matters most is to stop sending lump sums: release money in stages, tied to work you can see, and pay suppliers and contractors directly where you can. Back that with receipts you can check, independent photos or visits, and your own checks on the land title, survey and planning permit, which in Lagos is now applied for online through LASPPPA's EPPPS.
It is one of the most painful stories in the diaspora. Someone in London or Houston sends money home for years to build a house, then visits and finds a half-finished shell, or a roof on someone else's plot, or nothing at all. The person managing it was a brother, a mother, a trusted friend. Sometimes the money was stolen; more often it was borrowed for a crisis, spent on other family needs, or lost to a bad contractor, and the reports home were made to sound better than the site. This guide is about building a system that protects the project and the relationship.
How building money usually goes missing
The patterns repeat across families:
- Lump sums with no plan. Money arrives "for the building" with no agreed list of what it is for, so it is easy to redirect.
- Inflated quotes. A bag of cement, a truck of sand or a day's labour is reported at a higher price than was paid, and the difference disappears.
- Phantom progress. Photos are old, from another site, or show work that was later knocked down.
- The 'urgent' request. A sudden demand for money to avoid a price rise or a stop-work order, with no document behind it.
- Land problems discovered late. The plot was never properly bought or registered, so the building sits on land you do not own. See omonile and double-sale land scams.
Safeguard 1: pay by milestone, not by month
Break the project into stages, agree a price for each with the contractor, and release money only when a stage is finished and checked. A typical breakdown is foundation, blockwork to lintel, lintel and decking, roofing, plastering, windows and doors, electrical and plumbing, and finishing. Agree what 'finished' means at each step before any money moves.
Worked example
Example only. A bungalow is budgeted at ₦30,000,000, split into four payments:
| Milestone | Share | Amount | Release when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation and DPC | 20% | ₦6,000,000 | Photos with date and a visit by someone independent |
| Blockwork to roof level | 30% | ₦9,000,000 | Contractor invoice and site photos match |
| Roofing | 25% | ₦7,500,000 | Roof complete on video call walk-round |
| Finishing and services | 25% | ₦7,500,000 | Final inspection and snag list cleared |
| Total | 100% | ₦30,000,000 |
₦6,000,000 + ₦9,000,000 + ₦7,500,000 + ₦7,500,000 = ₦30,000,000. At no point is more than ₦9,000,000 exposed, compared with the whole budget if you sent it in one go.
Safeguard 2: pay suppliers and contractors directly
Wherever you can, pay the block maker, the cement supplier or the contractor's business account yourself, against an invoice in their name. Your relative still coordinates the site, but the money does not pass through their personal account. This removes the temptation and the suspicion. Ask for invoices that show quantity, unit price and the supplier's account name, and compare a few unit prices with other suppliers in the same area.
Safeguard 3: receipts and records you can check
Ask for a receipt for every payment and keep them in one shared folder. A receipt that is a photo of handwriting is better than nothing, but it can be redone. Bank transfer records are stronger because they show who was paid. Keep a simple running ledger: date, item, quantity, amount, who was paid, receipt link. Review it monthly, not only when something seems wrong.
Safeguard 4: independent eyes on the site
- Ask for live video walk-rounds at times you choose, not pre-recorded clips.
- Pay an independent person, such as a builder, engineer or quantity surveyor you found yourself, to visit at each milestone and report to you directly.
- Check that any surveyor you rely on is registered: the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) offers 'Verify a Surveyor' and 'Verify a Company' checks on its website.
- Visit in person when you can, ideally before the roofing stage, when errors are still cheap to fix.
Safeguard 5: get the paperwork right first
Before building starts, make sure the land and the permit are in order. Lawyers' guidance on Lagos land checks (Adeola Oyinlade & Co, March 2024) lists a Land Registry search for the true owner and encumbrances, a Surveyor-General charting to check the coordinates and whether the land is under government acquisition, a court litigation search, family consent where the land is family land, and a physical inspection. Under the Land Use Act, section 22, a holder of a statutory right of occupancy may not transfer it without the Governor's consent, and section 26 makes transactions contrary to the Act void.
For Lagos, the state says building planning approvals can now be applied for online from anywhere through LASPPPA's Electronic Planning Permit Processing System (EPPPS), and that manual processing has ended (Nairametrics, 22 July 2026). Make the application in your own name, so the record is yours. More on structure in building a house in Nigeria from abroad.
If money has already gone missing
- Pause new payments and ask, calmly and in writing, for a full account against receipts.
- Get an independent valuation of the work done, so you know what was spent.
- Agree a repayment plan if the money was borrowed, and change the system before continuing.
- Where there was clear dishonesty, take legal advice in the state where the property is; the police and courts are an option, and family mediation often comes first.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme lets you hold your earnings in pounds, dollars or euros and send naira straight to suppliers at each milestone. With VerifyDoc.ai, payees can issue verifiable receipts that anyone can check are genuine and unaltered.
Questions people ask
How do I monitor building in Nigeria from abroad?
Pay in stages tied to finished work, pay suppliers directly, ask for live video walk-rounds and pay an independent professional to inspect each stage and report to you.
Should I send building money to my family member?
If a relative manages the project, agree a budget per stage, release money only after checks, and pay suppliers directly where possible so the money does not pass through a personal account.
How can I verify a surveyor in Nigeria?
SURCON's website has 'Verify a Surveyor' and 'Verify a Company' checks. Use them before relying on a survey plan or report.
Can I get a Lagos building permit from abroad?
Lagos State says planning approvals can be applied for and obtained online from anywhere through LASPPPA's EPPPS platform, as reported in July 2026.
Sources
- Nairametrics: Lagos says building approvals can now be obtained online from anywhere (22 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) · accessed Oct 2026
- Adeola Oyinlade & Co: land due diligence in Lagos (19 Mar 2024) · 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.