FCT Minister Revokes 4,794 Land Titles Due to Unpaid Ground Rent
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has sanctioned the revocation of 4,794 land titles for non-payment of Ground Rent spanning over 40 years.
In areas including the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape Districts, a total of 8,375 property owners have failed to pay Ground Rent for the past 43 years.
This announcement was made during a press briefing by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, and the Director of Lands at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
According to Olayinka, the FCTA had made numerous public appeals via national newspapers and broadcast media since 2023, urging property owners to settle their outstanding Ground Rent, but the response has been largely unheeded. Many allottees have failed to pay despite repeated reminders.
“It is crucial to note that the payment of Ground Rent on properties within the FCT is mandated by existing legislation. This requirement is clearly stated in the terms and conditions of the Right of Occupancy and is due for payment on the first day of January each year, without the need for demand,” they stated.
The FCTA provided a breakdown of the defaulters, stating that 8,375 property owners across the ten oldest districts of Phase 1 of the Federal Capital City (FCC) owe a total of N6,967,980,119 in Ground Rent as of 2024.
Of these, 4,794 land titles have been in default for more than 10 years, violating the terms of the Rights of Occupancy granted under the Land Use Act, specifically Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b).
As a result, Wike has ordered the immediate revocation of the titles for properties in default of Ground Rent payment for 10 years or more.
Additionally, property owners who have not paid Ground Rent for between one and ten years have been given a 21-day grace period to settle their dues, after which their titles will also be revoked.
