FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

Thirty-four embassies in Abuja are facing possible closure after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) revealed over ₦3.66 million in outstanding ground rent from 2014 to 2025. The list includes missions from Ghana (defence section owed), Indonesia’s defence attaché, and Equatorial Guinea, among others.

On May 26, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ordered enforcement against 4,794 properties with long-overdue rents of up to 43 years. However, President Bola Tinubu granted a 14-day grace period ending today for defaulters to clear their arrears.

FCTA’s Lands Director, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said penalties of ₦2 million to ₦3 million would apply, depending on location. Reacting, the embassies of Russia, Turkey, and Germany denied defaults. Russia said it has paid “in good faith and on time” with documentation at hand; Turkey called its listing an “administrative error”; and Germany said it received no formal demand and had no outstanding arrears as of the end of 2024.

The Ghana and Sierra Leone missions stated they were unaware of any formal notice but would verify the situation. FCTA spokesman Lere Olayinka has promised investigations where embassies dispute the claims.

Experts warn strict enforcement may breach diplomatic norms. Ogbole Amedu-Ode, former ambassador to Mexico, noted that while diplomatic premises are inviolable under the Vienna Convention, local property laws may still apply, recommending bilateral resolution. Foreign affairs analyst Charles Onunaiju cautioned that sealing embassies could violate protocol and spark diplomatic tensions

Some domestic agencies previously listed, such as the PDP, FIRS, and NAPTIP, have now settled their obligations.