…Says N5m Violation Fee Remains Mandatory
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has granted a final 14-day grace period to property owners who violated the approved land use clauses in Asokoro, Maitama, Garki, and Wuse districts of Abuja to regularise their properties and pay a penalty fee of N5m each.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the grace period takes effect from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, during which all defaulters are expected to comply with the stipulated payment and other applicable fees for land use change and conversion.
Olayinka warned that failure to comply within the stated period would attract strict enforcement actions by the FCT Administration (FCTA).
“Defaulters now have 14 days, from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, to pay a violation fee of ₦5 million and other applicable fees for land use change and conversion.
“Failure to comply within the stated 14 calendar days grace period will result in enforcement actions by the FCT Administration,” the statement read.
The notice follows previous public announcements by the FCTA, published in national dailies and online platforms between September 8 and 10, 2025, notifying affected property owners of the expiration of the initial 30-day compliance window.
The directive applies to property owners on several key streets and locations across the Federal Capital City (FCC), including;
The statement further clarified that the affected allottees and title holders had violated the terms of their Right of Occupancy by converting properties for uses different from those originally approved by the FCTA.
“All affected allottees/holders of properties who, without approval, converted the land use of their properties… are hereby given 14 days from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, to comply with the terms and conditions of the approval for land use change/conversion,” it stated.
The FCTA directed affected property owners to visit the Department of Land Administration with their original title documents and valid means of identification to obtain their letters of Conveyance of Approval for land use change or conversion.
The minister also approved the issuance of new Statutory Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) and Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) for a 99-year term, which reflects the updated land use—upon full payment of all applicable fees and penalties.
However, the administration clarified that the new title approval does not cover lands and properties whose titles had previously been revoked due to reasons such as non-development, non-payment of ground rent, or other statutory violations.
The move is part of Wike’s ongoing drive to restore order and proper development control in Abuja, and ensure that land use within the capital city aligns with the Abuja Master Plan.
Wike, since assuming office, has repeatedly emphasised that no individual or entity would be allowed to arbitrarily alter land use, especially in highbrow districts like Asokoro, Maitama, and Wuse, without due process or payment of required fees.
The FCTA reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing urban regulations while allowing genuine property owners an opportunity to regularize their titles within the extended grace period.
“This is the final grace. After the expiration of the 14 days, enforcement actions will be taken without further notice,” Olayinka stressed.
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