The Nigerian government, through the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has issued a stern warning to 34 foreign embassies in Abuja, threatening possible closure over their failure to settle ground rent arrears dating back 11 years.
- The Nigerian government has threatened to close 34 foreign embassies in Abuja over 11 years of unpaid ground rent.
- The embassies collectively owe over ₦3.6 million in arrears since 2014, violating land lease agreements.
- Some of the embassies, including those of Russia and Turkey, have denied owing any debts.
According to a report by The PUNCH, these embassies in Nigeria have collectively accumulated over ₦3.6 million in unpaid ground rent since 2014, violating land lease agreements with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
Ground rent is a statutory obligation for all landholders within the Federal Capital Territory, including diplomatic missions, and is crucial for funding infrastructure and administrative services.
The FCTA publication listing the defaulting embassies disclosed the specific countries involved, revealing that out of the 34 missions cited, the Indonesia Defence Attaché (₦1,718,211), Zambia High Commission (₦1,189,990), Government of Equatorial Guinea (₦1,137,240), and the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (₦459,055) owe the highest amounts in outstanding ground rent.
Others include Ghana High Commission Defence Section (N5,950); Embassy of Thailand (N5,350), Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire (N5,500); Embassy of the Russian Federation (N1,100); Embassy of the Philippines (N5,950); Royal Netherlands Embassy (N5,950); Embassy of Turkey (N3,350), and the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea (N5,950).
Embassies react
Some embassies have rejected claims by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) that they owe ground rent in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
The Embassy of the Russian Federation firmly denied any debt, stating: “The Embassy pays all rent bills in good faith and on time. We have all necessary documents confirming payment.”
Similarly, the Embassy of Turkiye questioned its inclusion on the list, suggesting a possible bureaucratic error. A Turkish official said, “We make our payments regularly and have not received any formal notice. We’ll investigate and resolve any misunderstanding.”
The German Embassy clarified that no official notice had been received from the FCTA and insisted all obligations had been fully settled by the end of 2024. It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
The Ghana High Commission also said it had not been officially notified but would engage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the issue.
An official from the Sierra Leone Embassy, when contacted, said they were unaware of the development and would verify it upon return to the office.
