Source: Africa Publicity
Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has given a 14-day ultimatum to 33 foreign embassies in Nigeria’s federal capital, Abuja, to pay their alleged unpaid ground rents or risk being closed down.
The ultimatum comes as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) starts enforcement action over unpaid ground rent.
Embassies named on the defaulters’ list include Ghana, Russia, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire, the Philippines, Netherlands, Turkey, Guinea, Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, Zambia, Germany, Venezuela, South Korea, India, Sudan, Niger, and Kenya, among others.
The FCTA says the affected embassies have accumulated arrears dating as far back as 2014, amounting to a total of N3.66 million.
Despite several warnings, the diplomatic missions have reportedly failed to settle their debts, prompting the Nigerian government to act.
President Tinubu says all the defaulters have 14 days to clear their outstanding payments or risk sanctions, including the possible sealing of embassy premises.
However, some missions, including the Russian and German embassies, have denied owing any rent. They maintained that all required payments have been made and suggest that their inclusion may be the result of administrative errors. Diplomatic officials from Turkey, Germany, and Ghana also expressed surprise at their inclusion and indicated they had not received any official notice regarding outstanding obligations. They have pledged to review the matter internally.
In response, a spokesperson for the FCT Minister stated that the administration would investigate and correct any discrepancies if proven.
Meanwhile, diplomatic experts have urged caution. Former Nigerian ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode and foreign policy analyst Charles Onunaiju cautioned that sealing embassies could have serious diplomatic repercussions. They recommended resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue and coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
