The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced that it will commence fresh enforcement actions next week against defaulters of ground rent, land use change, and conversion fees, as well as right-of-occupancy and certificate-of-occupancy bills.
Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications and social media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday.
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Defaulters are property owners in the FCT who have not paid ground rent, land use change or conversion fees, R-of-O or C-of-O bills, or failed to register property transfers by obtaining the minister’s consent and registering their deeds of assignment.
Mr Olayinka recalled that on 26 May, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, Mr Wike granted defaulters a 14-day grace period to pay outstanding ground rent, including associated penalties.
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This move follows several grace periods granted to property owners to settle their debts.
He also said publications were made on Monday, 8 September, Tuesday, 9 September, and Wednesday 10 September, in some national dailies and online platforms, on the reviewed Land Use/Purpose Clause of properties in the FCT, giving 30 days for the payment of penalty/violation fee of ₦5 million and other applicable fees for Land Use Change/Conversion.
“Recall that on May 26, 2025, following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, granted defaulters on ground rent 14 14-day grace period to pay up their outstanding ground rent, with associated penalties.
“Also, publications were made on Monday 8th September 2025, Tuesday 9th September 2025, and Wednesday 10th September 2025, in some national dailies and online platforms, on the reviewed Land Use/Purpose Clause of properties in the FCT, giving 30 days for the payment of penalty/violation fee of ₦5 million and other applicable fees for Land Use Change/Conversion.
“Another public notice was published in national newspapers as well as online platforms, and aired on television and radio stations, granting defaulters of the land use/purpose clause of properties in Asokoro, Maitama, Garki and Wuse districts in the Federal Capital City (FCC), a final grace period of 14 days to comply with the terms and conditions of the approval for land use change and conversion.,” the statement said.
Mr Olayinka said the 14-day grace period on payment of Ground Rent expired on 9 June, more than five months ago, while the 14-day extension on the land use/purpose clause will end on Monday, 24 November.
In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the FCTA sealed some of the 4,792 institutions whose properties were affected by the non-payment of ground rent, including the PDP national secretariat in Zone 5, Wuse District.
Other organisations earlier on the list of defaulters included the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), CONOIL Plc, Borno State Government, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National University Commission (NUC), M.R.S Investment Company Limited (owners of MRS Petrol Stations) and Kaduna State Government.
The Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, University of Calabar, Nigerian Postal Service and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) were also among the defaulters.
It is unclear whether some of them have complied with the payment.
On Tuesday, a faction of the PDP sympathetic to Mr Wike had battled to hold its National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) meetings at the PDP secretariat.
The minister, who was at the secretariat located in Zone 5, Wuse District, Abuja, arrived in an SUV but did not get out of the vehicle.
However, he reportedly had an altercation with Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohamed of Bauchi State, who belong to the faction that held a convention in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, three days earlier, where the minister and 10 others were expelled from the party.
Mr Wike, though a member of the PDP, is serving as a minister in the APC-led federal government.
Read the full statement by the FCTA:
FCTA PRESS RELEASE
FCTA To Commence Enforcement On Ground Rent Payment, Land Use Conversion Fee, R-of-O, C-of-O Bills Defaulters Next Week
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will from next week, Wednesday, November 26, 2025, commence enforcement actions on defaulters of Ground Rent payment and Land Use Change/Conversion fee as well as Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) and Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) bills.
The FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, made this known in a statement on Thursday.
Recall that on May 26, 2025, following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, granted defaulters on ground rent 14 days grace to pay up their outstanding ground rent, with associated penalties.
Also, publications were made on Monday 8th September 2025, Tuesday 9th September 2025, and Wednesday 10th September 2025, in some national dailies and online platforms, on the reviewed Land Use/Purpose Clause of properties in the FCT, giving 30 days for the payment of penalty/violation fee of ₦5 million and other applicable fees for Land Use Change/Conversion.
Another public notice was published in national newspapers as well as online platforms, and aired on television and radio stations, granting defaulters of the land use/purpose clause of properties in Asokoro, Maitama, Garki and Wuse districts in the Federal Capital City (FCC), a final grace period of 14 days to comply with the terms and conditions of the approval for land use change and conversion.
The 14 days grace on payment of Ground Rent expired on June 9, 2025, more than five months ago, while the 14 days extension on the land use/purpose clause will end on Monday, November 24, 2025.
Consequently, the FCTA will from Wednesday, November 26, 2025, commence enforcement actions on defaulters of Ground Rent payment and Land Use Change/Conversion fee as well as Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) and Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) bills.
The enforcement will also include all those who purchased properties from other people, but have yet to register their interests by obtaining the mandatory Minister’s Consent and registering their Deeds of Assignment.
Lere Olayinka
Senior Special Assistant
Public Communications and Social Media
November 20, 2025
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