The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to shut down 34 embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rents dating back to 2014, The PUNCH reports.
A recently published FCTA list revealed that several foreign missions owe a combined total of N3.66 million in ground rent. Notably, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), originally listed, have since settled their dues.
On May 26, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike directed officials to begin enforcement actions on 4,794 properties for rent defaults ranging from 10 to 43 years. However, President Bola Tinubu later intervened, granting a 14-day grace period, which expires today (Monday), for defaulters to comply.
Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Land at FCTA, said embassies would face penalties of N2 million to N3 million, depending on their location.
Embassies Listed as Defaulters Include:
- Russia (N1,100) – denies owing
- Thailand (N5,350)
- Côte d’Ivoire (N5,500)
- Philippines (N5,950)
- Netherlands (N5,950)
- Turkey (N3,350) – questions inclusion
- Ghana (Defence Section – N5,950) – investigating claim
- Zambia (N1,189,990)
- Venezuela (N459,055)
- Indonesia (Defence Attaché – N1,718,211)
- Equatorial Guinea (N1,137,240)
- Others include missions from Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, India, Sudan, Kenya, Germany, Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, South Africa, and the European Union.
Diplomatic Reactions
- The Russian Embassy strongly denied owing any rent and said all payments were up to date with documentation to prove it.
- The Turkish Embassy said it had received no formal notice and suggested the listing may be a bureaucratic error.
- The German Embassy stated it had received no official communication from FCTA and that all obligations had been fulfilled as of the end of 2024.
- The Ghanaian High Commission said it would liaise with Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clarification.
- Sierra Leone’s mission also expressed surprise and promised to verify internally.
FCTA Responds
FCT Minister’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, said the claims of mistaken inclusion would be investigated and resolved appropriately.
Experts Call for Caution
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, cautioned against hasty action, citing the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which grants embassies immunity but also expects compliance with local property regulations.
Foreign affairs analyst Charles Onunaiju argued that enforcing ground rent on embassies could violate international law, as diplomatic premises are considered sovereign territory, and warned that forceful enforcement might provoke diplomatic fallout.
