The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given a final 14-day grace period to property owners who breached land use and development regulations in Abuja’s highbrow areas, Asokoro, Maitama, Garki, and Wuse to regularise their titles and pay a N5 million penalty.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the new deadline takes effect from Tuesday, November 11, 2025. It warned that defaulters who fail to comply within the stipulated period would face enforcement action by the FCT Administration.
The extension follows the expiration of a previous 30-day window granted to affected allottees after public notices were published between September 8 and 10, 2025.
Areas affected by the directive include Gana and Usuma Streets in Maitama; Yakubu Gowon Crescent in Asokoro; Aminu Kano and Adetokunbo Ademola Crescents in Wuse II; as well as Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Gimbiya Street, and Onitsha Street in Garki II. Others are Ogbomosho Street, Lafia Close, Yola Street, Abriba Close, Danbatta Street, Ringim Close, and Ilorin Street in Garki I.
The statement added that Wike approved the issuance of new title documents including Statutory Rights of Occupancy and Certificates of Occupancy with a renewed 99-year term for property owners who meet all requirements.
However, the concession excludes titles already revoked for non-development, non-payment of ground rent, or other violations.
Findings by The Guardian show that stricter enforcement of land administration policies under Wike has pushed annual revenue from land-related charges in the FCT beyond ₦1 trillion, the highest in the territory’s history.
Officials of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration attributed the surge to aggressive recovery of unpaid ground rents, new penalties, and higher processing fees for certificates and occupancy rights.
A senior FCTA official revealed, “From about ₦40 billion generated last December, land revenue has been climbing steadily. At the current pace, we could hit ₦100 billion monthly by year-end, crossing the ₦1 trillion mark.”
Analysts have linked the increase to growing demand for plots, spurred by the administration’s extensive road infrastructure projects across Abuja’s districts and area councils.
Ongoing and completed projects include the Kabusa–Takushara and Kabusa–Ketti access roads, the 15km A2 Junction–Pia Road in Kwali, the Kwaita/Yebu Road, and several dual carriageways connecting Dutse, Gwagwalada, and Katampe.
However, the reforms have stirred anxiety among over 260,000 landowners and 443 estate developers affected by the minister’s two-year mandatory development policy.
Many fear that the stringent deadlines and new fees, including a 21-day payment rule for acceptance and documentation could lead to widespread revocations and reallocation of plots to politically favoured individuals.
Real estate developer Shehu Nuhu described the policy as “draconian,” saying it overlooks the prevailing economic hardship.
“The policy is not about development but about creating artificial breaches to enable reallocation of land under ministerial discretion,” he said.
Nuhu urged President Bola Tinubu to initiate an independent review of the FCT land reform framework and suspend ongoing revocations until broad stakeholder consultations are held.
Residents such as Patrick Okoh and Nabel Ikame expressed similar concerns, noting that the cost of obtaining Certificates of Occupancy, ranging from ₦3.5 million to ₦6 million, including advisory fees has become unaffordable for many citizens, particularly civil servants.
Wike, however, insists the reforms are designed to curb land speculation, not to dispossess rightful owners.
“Anyone who cannot develop a plot in two years is a speculator. Land in Abuja is not for decoration,” he said, adding that the 21-day payment deadline is “reasonable and necessary” to enhance efficiency and boost government revenue.
He maintained that he has the legal mandate to enforce the new policy framework, which also includes the regularisation of area council land titles, revised Right of Occupancy conditions, and titling of mass housing projects.
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