The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned that over 3,000 titleholders in the Federal Capital Territory, including prominent government institutions, state liaison offices, and several foreign embassies, are facing imminent loss of properties due to failure to pay statutory ground rents owed to the FCTA. With less than four days remaining on a fresh 14-day ultimatum, the FCTA may recommence its enforcement drive, including sealing up defaulting properties and initiating revocation processes.
The administration’s action follows years of mounting unpaid ground rents, with debts of government agencies and state-owned liaison offices, public officials, and foreign embassies now totaling over N24bn. The FCTA’s Department of Land Administration released a document on June 2, 2024, listing a total of 3,383 defaulters who had failed to remit their annual ground rents between 2014 and 2024 — a statutory requirement under the terms of their Rights of Occupancy.
The FCTA warned that failure to comply would lead to revocation of titles and the withdrawal of Certificates of Occupancy, as stipulated under the Land Use Act. “The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) hereby wishes to remind the general public, particularly allottees/title holders of landed properties in the Federal Capital Territory, of their obligations to the FCTA as stipulated in the covenanted terms and conditions of the Rights of Occupancy/Certificates of Occupancy to wit: pay in advance without demand to the Federal Capital Territory Administration the Annual Ground Rent from the first date of January of each year,” the notice read.
Among the top government entities owing large sums are the Nigerian Navy (N5.2bn), the Department of Petroleum Resources (N1.5bn), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (N693m), and the Federal High Court (N4.1bn). State governments and their liaison offices in the capital — including Lagos, Kwara, Jigawa, Benue, Ondo, Adamawa, Osun, and Enugu — owing a combined N7.15bn are also listed as defaulters. On the international front, the debt list includes embassies of major countries such as the Royal Thai Embassy, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Saudi Arabian Embassy, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, and the Canadian High Commission.
While the embassies’ debt amounts are comparatively modest — ranging from N500 to N12,000 — their presence on the defaulters’ list carries heavy diplomatic and symbolic implications. Altogether, government bodies owe N23.85bn, while foreign missions account for an additional N3.66m, totaling N23.86bn. The FCTA’s enforcement team began sealing properties of 4,794 defaulters on May 26, 2025, but the President intervened, granting a 14-day grace period to affected property holders to settle their outstanding obligations.
The Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, disclosed that the defaulters would pay penalty fees of N2m and N3m respectively, depending on the location. Sources within the Lands Department informed that several affected institutions rushed to make payments following the ultimatum. However, defaulters may lose their titles when the fresh ultimatum expires on Monday, June 16th, 2025. Some of the defaulting embassies have denied any wrongdoing, with others claiming they had not been served a notice of the claimed debts by the FCTA.
The Embassy of the Russian Federation, for instance, denied knowledge of any debts, saying, “The Embassy pays all bills for the rent of the territory on which the Embassy complex is located in good faith and on time.” The Embassy of Turkiye questioned its inclusion on the FCTA’s list, citing a possible administrative error. The German Embassy clarified that it had not received any formal claim or demand regarding unpaid rent, while the Embassy of Ghana resolved to reach out to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on ways to resolve the issue.
