The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a stern two-week ultimatum to 34 foreign embassies and high commissions in Abuja, alongside thousands of other land title holders, warning that failure to settle outstanding ground rent for 2023 could lead to forfeiture of their land rights. The total indebtedness among diplomatic missions alone stands at approximately $5.3 million .
A notice published in national newspapers and signed by Muhammad Hazat Sule, FCTA’s Director of Information and Communication, lists the embassies of countries such as Russia, France, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Zambia, and the United States as top defaulters. In particular, the Indonesian embassy reportedly owes the highest ground rent at about $2 million .
Beyond the diplomatic corps, the FCTA says a total of 9,671 title holders, including private citizens and corporate entities, are in arrears. The combined debt by non-diplomatic defaulters is estimated at ₦2.2 billion .
FCTA Minister Nyesom Wike underscored the importance of ground rent as a vital source of revenue supporting infrastructure and public service delivery. He urged all defaulters to comply promptly to avoid land title revocation—a move he described as “a necessary enforcement of covenant obligations” .
The administration reaffirmed that, consistent with the Certificate of Occupancy terms, land titles may be rescinded if outstanding dues remain unpaid after the July deadline. This underscores the government’s intensified crackdown on revenue defaulters and efforts to strengthen funding for development across the Federal Capital Territory.
