National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked the titles of 4,794 plots of land across Abuja due to owners’ failure to pay ground rent for more than a decade.
The move is part of efforts to enforce compliance and recover an outstanding N6.97 billion owed to the FCT Administration (FCTA).
The affected plots are located in some of Abuja’s most prime areas, including Garki, Wuse, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape. Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, confirmed the revocation, stressing that landowners had been given multiple warnings since 2023.
“The law is clear—ground rent must be paid annually, and failure to do so has consequences.The FCT Administration has shown patience, but we cannot allow defaulters to stall the city’s development,” Olayinka stated at a press briefing in Abuja.
FCTA Director of Lands, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, revealed that some of the revoked land titles had been in default for as long as 43 years.
He further warned that landowners who owe between one and ten years of ground rent have 21 days to clear their debts or risk similar revocation.
Ground rent payments, officials reiterated, are a legal obligation under the Land Use Act and form part of the Right of Occupancy terms.
“The administration will no longer tolerate non-compliance. Defaulters must meet their obligations or face legal consequences,” Nwankwoeze warned.
The crackdown highlights the FCTA’s resolve to curb land speculation, enforce financial discipline, and boost revenue generation in the capital city.
