The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the military, foreign embassies, religious groups, government agencies, and private property owners in Abuja to settle outstanding ground rent arrears or face revocation of their land titles.
According to a public notice shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, over 3,383 plots of land across the Federal Capital Territory are at risk of losing their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) or Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) due to unpaid ground rent accumulated between 2014 and 2024.
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The affected properties are primarily in high-profile areas, including Central Area, Garki I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse I and II, and Guzape.
A wide range of ground rent defaulters named
The public notice released by the FCTA lists defaulters categorised from A00 to A09. These include key ministries, diplomatic missions, banks, religious organisations, private firms, and prominent individuals.
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The Nigerian Navy, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Petroleum Resources, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Debt Management Office, Federal High Court, and National Industrial Court are among the government agencies owing ground rent. Liaison offices of states such as Kwara, Benue, Osun, Zamfara, Katsina, Imo, and Enugu are also featured on the list.
Foreign embassies include Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Kuwait, Zimbabwe, Canada, India, Ethiopia, Sudan, Mauritania, Indonesia, Venezuela, and North Korea.
In the private sector, defaulters include Huawei Technologies Nigeria Ltd, UACN Property Development Company PLC, First City Monument Bank PLC, Union Bank of Nigeria PLC, Standard Construction Ltd, Baram Nigeria Ltd, and Elbe Pharma Ltd.
Religious organisations owing ground rent include the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Abuja National Mosque Council, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria, and Jama’atu Nasril Islam.
Notable individuals on the list include retired military officers and prominent figures such as Gado Nasko, a former FCT Minister; Aisha Alhassan; Mathew Nwagwu; Alexander Okafor; Dominic Oneya; Gladys Ibanga; and Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim.
Real estate and investment firms named are Neo-Vista Property Development Ltd, TRCC Nigeria Ltd, Vibrant Insurance Brokers, Next International Nigeria Ltd, and Abuja Investment & Property Development Company Ltd.
FCTA’s warning and payment instructions
The FCTA reminded allottees that annual ground rent payments are mandatory under the terms of their Rights of Occupancy and Certificates of Occupancy and must be paid in advance starting 1 January each year.
“All allottees and property owners who have not paid ground rent up to 2024 are hereby given fourteen (14) days from the date of this publication to settle their arrears,” the notice stated.
“Failure to comply will result in revocation or withdrawal of affected land titles.
“Payments are to be made via the Remita e-payment platform, directed to the account of the “FCT Department of Land Administration.”
“Property owners are advised to visit https://remita.net, select “Pay TSA & States,” then “Federal Capital Territory Admin,” followed by “FCT Department of Land Administration,” and finally “FCC Ground Rent.”
Recent enforcement and government response
The ultimatum follows recent enforcement actions by the FCTA, which sealed the premises of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat, FIRS, Access Bank, Total Energy, Ibro Hotel, and Mabuda Company Warehouse in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, over unpaid ground rent.
FCTA’s Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said these properties have reverted to the FCTA and described the exercise as the beginning of reclaiming possession of over 4,794 revoked properties.
He noted that the ground rent for the FIRS building on Plot 627, Wuse Zone 5, had been unpaid for 25 years, while the Access Bank building on Plot 2456, Wuse I, had not been paid for 34 years.
However, President Bola Tinubu has directed the FCTA to suspend sealing activities on some properties pending further review.
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Background
Since assuming office in August 2023, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has intensified efforts to recover unpaid ground rent and curb multiple land allocations.
In March, he approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to non-payment of ground rent spanning 10 to 43 years.
In September 2023, the minister also revoked the certificates of occupancy of 165 plots owned by individuals and corporate entities that failed to develop their lands.
Among those affected were prominent Nigerians, including Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, ex-Minister Udo Udoma, and former SGF Ufot Ekaette.
Mr Wike has defended the reforms, stating the priority is public good, even if some wealthy landowners are adversely affected.
He pegged the cost of obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy at N5 million, with a four-month payment window. He vowed to end multiple allocations of the same plot to different owners.
