At least 34 embassies in Abuja risk being shut down today, Monday, over their failure to pay ground rent for more than a decade.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration revealed that some of these diplomatic missions have not paid ground rent since 2014. The total debt owed is about N3.66 million.
Earlier, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had ordered action against 4,794 property owners for not paying ground rent, some for as long as 43 years. But President Bola Tinubu stepped in and gave a 14-day grace, which ends today.
According to the FCTA Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, embassies and organisations that fail to pay will also be fined between N2 million and N3 million, depending on the area.
Embassies at risk include those of Ghana (N5,950), Thailand (N5,350), Côte d’Ivoire (N5,500), Russia (N1,100), the Philippines (N5,950), the Netherlands (N5,950), Turkey (N3,350), Guinea (N5,950), Ireland (N500), Uganda (N5,950), Iraq (N550), and Zambia, which owes the highest — N1,189,990.
Others are the High Commissions of Tanzania (N6,000), India (N150), Kenya (N5,950), Sierra Leone (N5,900), and embassies of Egypt, Sudan, Niger, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Indonesia (N1,718,211), and South Africa (N4,950).
The EU Delegation (N1,500), Saudi Arabia (N5,950), China’s Economic and Commercial Office (N12,000), Switzerland (N5,950), Equatorial Guinea (N1,137,240), Germany (N1,000), DR Congo (N5,950), Venezuela (N459,055), Korea (N5,950), and Trinidad and Tobago (N500) were also listed.
However, some embassies have denied being in debt.
The Russian Embassy said: “The Embassy pays all bills… in good faith and on time. We have documents confirming payment.”
The Turkish Embassy also expressed surprise at being listed. A staff member said, “We have not received formal notice. We’ll check if this is a mistake and fix it.”
The German Embassy said no demand had been made by the FCTA. “We want to clarify that no such claim has been brought to our attention,” the embassy said.
It added that all financial duties regarding their Abuja property had been cleared as of December 2024. “We value our cooperative relationship with the Nigerian government and the FCTA,” it said.
The Ghanaian High Commission said it would contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We have noted the publication but have not been officially informed. We will liaise with the Ministry,” it said.
The Embassy of Sierra Leone said it was unaware of the matter. “I am not aware… I will check with my office,” an official said.
Reacting to these claims, the spokesperson for the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, said the FCTA would look into them. “This claim will be promptly investigated and appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, noted that embassies are protected under international law. “The Vienna Convention says diplomatic premises are inviolable,” he said. “But that does not mean embassies should ignore local laws. There must be a balanced approach.”
He advised the Foreign Affairs Ministry to handle the issue carefully and on a case-by-case basis.
Foreign affairs expert, Charles Onunaiju, also warned of a diplomatic crisis. “Embassy grounds are sovereign territory. Shutting them down would violate international law,” he explained. “That would be a serious breach of diplomatic protocol.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have all cleared their debts.
A PDP source told the PUNCH, “We resolved all ground rent issues with Wike on Friday. There’s no problem anymore.”
The FCTA had earlier sealed FIRS offices over unpaid rent, which caused a disagreement. FIRS denied owing, saying they had paid N2.36 million in response to a September 2023 notice. A source later confirmed the matter had been resolved.
NAPTIP also settled its debt. A staff member said, “It’s been resolved.”
Olayinka added that some payments were made online. “It’s until they bring their receipts that we can know,” he said.
As the 14-day deadline ends today, the FCTA may take action against any mission that fails to pay or present proof of payment.
