The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to non-payment of Ground Rent for over 40 years.
In key areas such as the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape, a total of 8,375 property owners have failed to pay Ground Rent for the past 43 years.
This was disclosed during a press briefing by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, alongside the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Director of Lands, Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
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According to the officials, the FCTA had repeatedly urged defaulters to settle their outstanding payments through newspaper publications and media announcements since 2023. However, these efforts yielded minimal compliance.
The payment of Ground Rent is a legal requirement under the terms of the Right of Occupancy, which mandates that the fee is due annually on January 1 without prior notice.
A list of defaulters has been compiled across ten of the oldest districts in Phase 1 of the Federal Capital City (FCC), including:
– Central Area District (Cadastral Zone A00)
– Garki I (Cadastral Zone A01)
– Wuse I (Cadastral Zone A02)
– Garki II (Cadastral Zone A03)
– Asokoro (Cadastral Zone A04)
– Maitama (Cadastral Zones A05 & A06)
– Wuse II (Cadastral Zones A07 & A08)
– Guzape (Cadastral Zone A09)
As of the end of 2024, these 8,375 property owners collectively owe a total of N6.97 billion in unpaid Ground Rent. Among them, 4,794 property owners have not made payments in the past 10 years, violating the terms of their land occupancy under Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act.
As a result, the titles of those who have defaulted for 10 years or more have been immediately revoked.
Additionally, defaulters who have outstanding payments for one to ten years have been given a 21-day grace period to settle their debts. Failure to comply will result in the revocation of their land titles as well.
