The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has declared that the administration will no longer extend the deadline for payment of ground rents, warning that property owners who fail to comply risk losing their assets.
According to a statement signed by Rabi Musa Umar, Assistant Director Press at the Office of the Minister, Wike issued the warning in Abuja on Monday, November 24, after inspecting major infrastructure projects in Wuse and Lifecamp.
He said the grace periods granted earlier, including a presidential intervention that provided an additional two to three weeks, expired months ago.
“It’s unfortunate that most Nigerians who complain don’t want to abide by the rules,” he said in the statement issued by his office. “We had a presidential intervention to give more time, but it’s more than four months now. We cannot carry out projects without people paying their taxes.”
The minister stressed that the administration had already published notices extending the payment deadline, but many residents chose to wait until enforcement began. He made it clear that this is the last opportunity for defaulters to clear their outstanding ground rents.
“We are not going to extend any further,” he said.
Wike explained that enforcement will involve sealing properties belonging to debtors, adding that such properties would revert to the FCT Administration. “If you have not paid, we will seal the premises and the property then becomes the property of the FCT Administration,” he said.
During the inspection tour, Wike also provided updates on ongoing road projects, including the Transit Way N2 that links the Central Business District to Wuse, and the Arterial Road N5 from Life Camp Junction to Karmo.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of work delivered by Levante Construction Ltd and Julius Berger.
According to him, the N2 road project is expected to be completed by the end of May or early June 2026, while the N5 project is scheduled for handover by the end of January 2026. He described the work done so far as impressive.
He also disclosed that the N2 project is being funded under emergency provisions, while adequate funding for the N5 arterial road has been captured in the FCT’s 2025 budget.
Responding to questions on the readiness of newly commissioned bus terminals, Wike said the procurement process to select operators is ongoing. He expressed confidence that the process would be concluded before the end of the yea.