Ground Rent: FCTA Takes Over 4,794 Revoked Property Monday

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will from Monday, May 26 begin taking possession of 4,794 property revoked due to non-payment of ground rent for periods ranging between 10 and 43 years.

This was disclosed at a press briefing yesterday by key FCTA officials, including the FCT minister’s senior special assistant on public communications and social media, Lere Olayinka, director of land administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze and director of department of development control, Mukhtar Galadima.

The officials confirmed that ownership of the revoked property located in high-value districts such as Central Area, Garki I & II, Wuse I & II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape had already reverted to the FCTA.

“As from Monday next week, the government will begin to exercise its right of ownership on the affected landed property.

“This will be done without consideration as to ownership of the affected property. It will be purely in line with extant laws and regulations guiding the process,” they stated.

Mukhtar Galadima said the revoked properties would be sealed with access restricted starting Monday.

He added that the FCTA would decide what to do with the affected properties in due course.

Addressing claims that some affected parties had gone to court, Chijioke Nwankwoeze said, “There is no court decision on the revocation, and as such, the FCTA is not restricted in the discharge of its lawful functions on the affected properties.”

Nwankwoeze also said the FCTA was compiling records of compliance and non-compliance from property owners who were given a 21-day grace period to settle unpaid ground rent for one to 10 years.

“The government will act accordingly as soon as the records are fully compiled and analyzed,” he said.

The officials recalled that on March 18, 2025, the FCTA had announced the revocation of 4,794 land titles in the listed districts part of a larger pool of 8,375 properties with unpaid ground rent.

“A total of N6,967,980,119 was being owed as Ground Rent by 8,375 property owners,” they said, adding that the non-payment violated the Land Use Act (Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b).

“Payment of Ground Rent on landed properties in the FCT is founded on extant legislation.

“It is clearly stipulated in the terms and conditions of grant of right of occupancy, and it is due for payment on the first day of January, each year, without demand,” he said.