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GO PAY YOUR GROUND RENT OR LOSE YOUR PROPERTY: FCTA ISSUES 14-DAY ULTIMATUM – OVER 3,383 ABUJA PROPERTY OWNERS RISK LOSING LAND TITLES OVER UNPAID GROUND RENT

 GO PAY YOUR GROUND RENT OR LOSE YOUR PROPERTY: FCTA ISSUES 14-DAY ULTIMATUM – OVER 3,383 ABUJA PROPERTY OWNERS RISK LOSING LAND TITLES OVER UNPAID GROUND RENT


By Daniel Okonkwo  Profile International Human Rights Advocate


In a sweeping move aimed at boosting revenue and enforcing compliance, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to 3,383 landowners in Abuja to pay outstanding ground rent arrears or face revocation of their land titles.


This public warning, released by the Department of Land Administration, underscores a growing push by the FCTA to recover unpaid dues across prominent districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse, Guzape, Central Area, and Garki.


Ground rent is an annual fee leaseholders must pay to the FCTA for the continued use of land on which their property stands. While leaseholders may own the buildings, the land remains under government ownership.


Failure to pay ground rent violates the lease agreement terms associated with land titles, including the Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) and Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O)

The defaulters include government bodies, embassies, corporations, religious institutions, individuals, and real estate firms. Here’s a breakdown:


Government Agencies


Nigerian Navy


Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development


Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)


Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)


Debt Management Office (DMO)


Federal High Court


National Industrial Court


State liaison offices of Kwara, Benue, Osun, Zamfara, Katsina, Imo, and Enugu


Foreign Embassies


Thailand


Saudi Arabia


Brazil


Kuwait


Zimbabwe


Canada


India


Ethiopia


Sudan


Mauritania


Indonesia


Venezuela


North Korea



Private Sector Entities


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


Elbe Pharma Ltd



Religious Institutions


Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja


Abuja National Mosque Council


Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria


Jama’atu Nasril Islam


Prominent Individuals


Gado Nasko (former FCT Minister)


Aisha Alhassan


Mathew Nwagwu


Alexander Okafor


Dominic Oneya


Gladys Ibanga


Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim



Real Estate & Investment Firms


Neo-Vista Property Development Ltd


TRCC Nigeria Ltd


Vibrant Insurance Brokers


Next International Nigeria Ltd


Abuja Investment & Property Development Company Ltd


Official Warning


> “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,”

— Department of Land Administration, FCTA


Failure to comply will result in revocation of titles and the reallocation of land to new applicants. Payments must be made via approved FCTA electronic channels.


High-Profile Seizures Already Underway


The FCTA has begun enforcing compliance, sealing several notable properties:


PDP National Secretariat


FIRS Building, Wuse Zone 5


Access Bank, Wuse I


Total Energy


Ibro Hotel


Mabuda Company Warehouse


According to the Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, some properties haven’t been paid in over two decades. The FIRS building reportedly owes 25 years of arrears, while Access Bank has defaulted for 34 years.


Presidential Intervention


In a new twist, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the FCTA to temporarily pause the sealing of certain properties pending further review. This gesture suggests the government may explore a more conciliatory approach with key stakeholders.


This sweeping action by the FCTA sends a powerful message: no one is above the law, regardless of status or affiliation. It’s a reminder to all property owners within the FCT to comply with their legal obligations or face significant consequences—including the loss of prime real estate.

GO PAY YOUR GROUND RENT OR LOSE YOUR PROPERTY: FCTA ISSUES 14-DAY ULTIMATUM – OVER 3,383 ABUJA PROPERTY OWNERS RISK LOSING LAND TITLES OVER UNPAID GROUND RENT

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